’50s musical lightens up Bolingbrook summer stage – Chicago Tribune

Sandwiched between a dense Tennessee Williams play and an ultra-spooky Halloween thriller comes a laugh-a-minute summer musical.

Bolingbrook's Theatre-on-the-Hill is staging "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" July 7-23 at the Bolingbrook Performing Art Center's outdoor stage. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays.

The troupe staged "A Streetcar Named Desire" in the spring and this fall plans to do an immersive stage adaptation of "Night of the Living Dead."

Theatre-on-the-Hill President Michael Fudala is directing the musical, which features a score by score by Frank Loesser of "Guys and Dolls" fame. Loesser is a hero of Fudala's, he said.

"It is a wonderfully biting satire of big business that is based on a book of the same name that came out in 1952," he said. "It is all over the top, tongue-in-cheek, politically incorrect. This came out in '61 as a stage play, won seven Tony awards, won a Grammy for best album and won the Pulitzer for drama one of only eight musicals ever to win a Pulitzer. And it happens to be, in my humble opinion, probably the funniest musical ever."

It plays off all the stereotypes we "know and love to hate" in the business world, he said.

"It charts the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who starts as a window washer and with the help of this handy little book, 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,' and rises to become the chairman of the board in a very short period of time," he said.

As Chairman of the Board at the World-Wide Wicket Company, Finch's morally-questionable business practices jeopardize not only his career but also his romance with secretary Rosemary Pilkington (Rachel Banda of Bolingbrook and Claire Diamond of Lockport).

Characters include company boss J. B. Biggley (Andrew Philippides of Bolingbrook), Biggley's nephew Bud Frump (Chris Tinoco of Bolingbrook and Kush Soni of Naperville) and Biggley's mistress Hedy LaRue (Melaura Rice of Bolingbrook and Abby Williams of Aurora). Famous songs include "I Believe in You," "Been a Long Day," and "Brotherhood of Man."

"As usual, we have just a phenomenal cast," Fudala said. "I'm always impressed with the level of talent that we have come out, even for the lesser known (musical) I mean, it was really popular in its day, but it's been 50 years. It was re-done in the '90s with Matthew Broderick and there was a revival in 2011 with Daniel Radcliffe as the main character."

He was inspired to do this show by those revivals, particularly by Rob Ashford's choreography and direction, he said.

"I've loved this show forever. I've done it once in the '90s and (while) I don't like to repeat myself, this one is so good," he said. "It has brilliant singing and brilliant dancing. It's really an ensemble piece."

J. Pierrepont Finch is played by Bolingbrook High School sophomore Spencer Avery of Bolingbrook.

"He came to us a few years back when we did 'Spamalot' and he was still in grade school and his level of maturity and understanding of British humor knocked my socks off," Fudala said. "And in the intervening years, he has really matured vocally as well. I can't say enough about the kid. He is destined to go on to bigger things."

Fudala is anxious for audiences to see the musical. It's the perfect cure for any lingering summertime blues, he said.

"I really thought everyone could use a few laughs and this is funny from beginning to end," he said. "Something lighthearted, something you don't have to think too hard about. It's the funniest musical of all time."

Annie Alleman is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.

When: July 7-23

Where: Bolingbrook Performing Arts Center 375 W. Briarcliff, Bolingbrook

Tickets: $17

Information: 630-908-2538; facebook.com/Theatre-on-the-Hill-117023365025544/

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'50s musical lightens up Bolingbrook summer stage - Chicago Tribune