{"id":3707,"date":"2026-11-06T19:50:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T19:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/?p=3707"},"modified":"2026-11-07T04:03:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T04:03:08","slug":"how-to-succeed-does","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/2026\/11\/06\/how-to-succeed-does\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018How to Succeed\u2019 does"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By John Hatzis<\/a> \u00b7 Perspectives Editor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grove
Grove City College’s musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” debuted Wednesday in Ketler Auditorium. (Carson Brown | The Collegian)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thrilling, nihilistic, boisterous and raunchy, \u201cHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,\u201d while definitively not for the whole family, promises a fun, rowdy time for adult viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although opening night has passed, the remaining performances of the Betsy Craig-directed production are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Pew Fine Arts Center Ketler Auditorium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decked out with classy, 1950s-esque costumes, \u201cHow to Succeed\u201d takes a darkly comic look at the toxic, immoral workplace culture of New York City business life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On stage, no hedonistic desire is given short shrift: workplace affairs, sexual harassment, blackmail, alcoholism, caffeine addiction, foul language, blasphemy, seduction, smoking, envy, nepotism and manipulation dominate the show as the ensemble attempts to ruthlessly climb the corporate ladder.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whole musical numbers are dedicated to overt objectification and sexualization, and these numbers are exceedingly drawn out. The \u201cA Secretary is Not a Toy\u201d scene clocks in at nearly ten minutes; that number alone is enough to encourage professors to leave the kids (of any age) at home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shining through the sex-crazed and power-obsessed culture of the World Wide Wicket is William Mueller\u2019s endearing J. Pierpont Finch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finch is guided to the top by the book \u201cHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,\u201d admirably voiced by Christopher Corbin. Corbin thrives as the story\u2019s narrator; he perfectly times his interludes and gives Finch comfort and sage wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In every scene, Mueller\u2019s bowtie-wearing Finch shines with a radiant glow. Viewers quickly come to love Finch and only grow to love him more as Jesse Richardson\u2019s sweet, driven Rosemary tries (though notably, in the end, fails) to break through Finch\u2019s lust for power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finch subserviates the base desires that enslave the ensemble to his unbridled ambition. For all his faults, Finch\u2019s ambition makes him slightly more morally upright than most of the cast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mueller nails the leading role: his choral experience allows him to glide through the difficult music with ease, his flexible movements give him a youthful spirit that contrasts sharply with his rigid coworkers, and his earnest head tilts endear him to the audience.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The audience almost forgets (but only almost) that Finch is only kind to us because we are not in his way. If we were in any way between him and his idol of success, the coveted position of chairman of the board, he would swiftly mobilize to have us terminated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richardson, as always, nails her performance as Rosemary with pitch-perfect vocals and confident delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caroline Clegg compellingly leads an ensemble cast of secretaries who twirl around Rosemary and cheer on her corporate romance. In \u201cBeen a Long Day,\u201d Clegg wonderfully plays the wingwoman while Mueller and Richardson thrive as awkward romantic partners. The number is a high point of the show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zach Kappel once again hits a performing home run as Biggley, the oafish president of World Wide Wicket.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biggley has a lot on his plate: he hates his wife, hates his nephew and perpetually fires advertising chiefs, all while hiding his affair with a company secretary. Kappel hilariously illustrates Biggley\u2019s rising stress level throughout the show \u2014 his noises and outbursts do just as much to build his character as his lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kappel\u2019s overburdened Biggley and Mueller\u2019s enthusiastic Finch enjoy great comedic chemistry; \u201cOld Ivy,\u201d where Biggley reminisces about his Alma Mater (and Finch plays along), is one of the show\u2019s standout moments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making his premiere as a villain, Timothy Heiser journeys beyond his usual romantic typecast into the extremely irritating nepo-hire Bud Frump. President Biggley\u2019s nephew, Heiser\u2019s Frump competes with Finch every step of the way for power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heiser nails Frump\u2019s insufferable character voice and teeth-grinding mannerisms. I really could not stand him by the show\u2019s conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Reilly Martin\u2019s Hedy LaRue absolutely steals the show in \u201cHow to Succeed.\u201d From the moment she struts onto World Wide Wicket headquarters, Martin commands the stage with her thick accent and impeccable comedic timing. Martin and Kappel frequently scored the biggest laughs with their undercover, sappy romance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greta Paulding flourishes as the show\u2019s projection designer, securing the show\u2019s most memorable moment with Finch\u2019s advertising presentation in Act II. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Grove City cast excels in \u201cHow to Succeed\u201d with flying colors. The story\u2019s subversive narrative gives me pause; \u201cHow to Succeed\u201d fails to distinguish between its protagonist and its antagonist in any meaningful way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take away the cute music, and you find Finch is just as maniacal, cruel and self-absorbed as Frump, only with a less irritating voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The success of the World Wide Wicket company is built on the untold suffering of the women who have pledged their lives to their unloyal, work-obsessed husbands. President Biggley frequently mocks and curses at his wife; the musical never cares to introduce us to her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rosemary is relegated in the final scenes to a sideshow, a rubber stamp for Finch\u2019s dreams. She will be \u201ckeeping his dinner warm\u201d for the rest of her life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one of the show\u2019s saddest ironies, its penultimate song, \u201cBrotherhood of Man,\u201d is revealed to be yet another power play by the manipulative Finch to ascend to chairman of the board. Finch\u2019s call for unity immediately precedes his firing spree. His harkening to noble ideals rings hollow. Attentive viewers will notice the Finch we leave at the end is much more wicked, vicious and underhanded than the Finch we started with.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While hilarious throughout, this adaptation of \u201cHow to Succeed\u201d leans more toward dark than comedy. Do not be fooled by the music or admirable performances into thinking the World Wide Wicket corporation is one where anyone loves anything or anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Company Way\u201d is nothing more than a \u201ccold, corporate setup,\u201d and the cast ensemble closes the show reaffirming their slavish loyalty to it. After all, \u201cThe Company Way\u201d allows for sexual affairs, booze and unlimited coffee. And, according to the ensemble, it gets them away from their wives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By John Hatzis \u00b7 Perspectives Editor Thrilling, nihilistic, boisterous and raunchy, \u201cHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,\u201d while definitively not for the whole family, promises a fun, rowdy time for adult viewers. Although opening night has passed, the remaining performances of the Betsy Craig-directed production are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":3709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[219],"tags":[21,65,320,308],"class_list":["post-3707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","tag-entertainment","tag-john-hatzis","tag-local","tag-nov-6-2026-edition"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Musical-Carson-BrownCMYK-1-scaled.webp",2560,1706,false],"thumbnail":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Musical-Carson-BrownCMYK-1-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Musical-Carson-BrownCMYK-1-300x200.webp",300,200,true],"medium_large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Musical-Carson-BrownCMYK-1-767x511.webp",767,511,true],"large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Musical-Carson-BrownCMYK-1-1024x683.webp",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Musical-Carson-BrownCMYK-1-1536x1024.webp",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Musical-Carson-BrownCMYK-1-2048x1365.webp",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"elvinrj23","author_link":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/author\/elvinrj23\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By John Hatzis \u00b7 Perspectives Editor Thrilling, nihilistic, boisterous and raunchy, \u201cHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,\u201d while definitively not for the whole family, promises a fun, rowdy time for adult viewers. Although opening night has passed, the remaining performances of the Betsy Craig-directed production are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3707"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3714,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3707\/revisions\/3714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}