Review: Madison's "How to Succeed ..." A Success

By Tim Lewis
Cappies National Capitol Area

So you’re telling me you went from being a simple window-washer, to being a company executive in a few months, and you did so with nothing but a BOOK!? Man, I gotta get me one of them books! Such was the lesson given to a packed auditorium last weekend at James Madison High School’s production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert’s comedic musical, based on Shepherd Mead’s book of the same name, was first introduced to Broadway in 1961. Since it then, the show has experienced the good graces of such people as Bob Fosse, Matthew Broderick, Walter Cronkite and more recently, Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette.

James Madison’s production, in which the large ensemble and cast had great energy and chemistry with one another, as a whole was very enjoyable. The long-running show has several moments in which the performance can become slow. This was not the case, however, at James Madison.

The show was led by Daxx Wieser, who played J. Pierrepont Finch, a manipulative man who works his way to the top. Wieser had good characterization, the voice to match his character and great form in his dancing, best showcased during the song “Brotherhood of Man.” Acting alongside Wieser was Shannon Michelson as Rosemary Pilkington. She portrayed a hopeful and fantasizing demeanor.

The best scenes of the show involved the supporting characters. Patrick Shaughnessy, playing J. B. Biggley, had wonderful comedic timing, making the audience laugh in almost every scene he was in. Samantha Ross, who played Hedy LaRue, had the perfect voice for her role, a beautiful, ditsy woman with an empty head. Emily Wade played Smitty, Rosemary’s best friend and fellow secretary. Wade portrayed a very encouraging, though meddling, attitude and had a lovely voice in the song “Been a Long Day.” Perhaps the most energetic and involved person in the cast was Sean Pederson, who played Mr. Toynbee and voiced the “How to Succeed…” book. Pederson was constantly drawing eyes with his in-character actions and dramatics, not once losing objective. Though some actors were not as vocally trained or dramatically focused as others, these actors truly made the show what it was.

The acting was good, but what good is a musical without its music? The pit orchestra, discreetly hidden, played remarkably. The near-perfect sound provided by the pit helped the audience focus more on the lyrics and singers themselves. Collectively, the singing in the show was well-rehearsed. The dancing, choreographed by Selena Garcia-DuBar and Wieser (J. Pierrepont Finch) was entertaining and in-sync for most of the songs.

Technically, the show experienced several high points as well. Make-up and hair, done by Sofia McKewen and Maddie Osborn, both resembled and highlighted the look of the time period. The set was simple enough to be easy to work with, but intricate and colorful enough to display the inner workings of the World Wide Wicket Company. The characters themselves acted as the running crew, staying in character as they carried sets on and off.

James Madison’s performance of “How to Succeed …” was, in short, a success. The cast and crew put in much hard work, which was evident in their strong performance.