How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

From ChatGPT

"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" has an interesting history that spans several decades. Here's a brief overview: The musical is based on the satirical self-help book of the same name by Shepherd Mead, published in 1952. The book humorously outlines a guide to corporate success using unconventional methods. In 1961, a musical adaptation of the book premiered on Broadway. It featured music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert. The production starred Robert Morse as the ambitious and conniving window cleaner, J. Pierrepont Finch, who rises through the ranks of the World Wide Wicket Company using his wit and charm. The original Broadway production was a major success, running for 1,417 performances and winning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Robert Morse won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Finch. The musical's catchy songs, witty dialogue, and satirical take on the corporate world resonated with audiences, and it became a staple of the musical theater repertoire. In 1967, a film adaptation of the musical was released, starring Robert Morse reprising his role as Finch, along with a star-studded cast that included Michele Lee and Rudy Vallee. The film was well-received and helped to introduce the story to a wider audience. "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" has had multiple successful revivals on Broadway. Notable productions include a 1995 revival starring Matthew Broderick and a 2011 revival starring Daniel Radcliffe. Both revivals received critical acclaim and garnered Tony Awards for their leading actors. The musical's enduring popularity is due in part to its timeless themes of ambition, office politics, and the pursuit of success. Its humor and satire continue to resonate with audiences, making it a favorite choice for professional and amateur theater productions alike. With its catchy songs such as "I Believe in You," "Brotherhood of Man," and "The Company Way," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" remains a beloved musical that offers a humorous and entertaining take on the corporate world and the quest for success.}

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Authors

Original Authors

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Book
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Music and Lyrics
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Source Material

Later Contributors

There are no known writers who contributed to revisions, etc. following the original production.
Genre: Musical Comedy

Production Highlights

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There are 28 productions in Ovrtur's database.
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Score

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Original score

Cut prior to opening

Added to some later productions

Studio Cast Recordings

Recordings listed here were done in the studio specifically to release as recordings. They do not represent cast recordings of a particular production.

Demos & Pre-Production Recordings

From ChatGPT

"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" has an interesting history that spans several decades. Here's a brief overview: The musical is based on the satirical self-help book of the same name by Shepherd Mead, published in 1952. The book humorously outlines a guide to corporate success using unconventional methods. In 1961, a musical adaptation of the book premiered on Broadway. It featured music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert. The production starred Robert Morse as the ambitious and conniving window cleaner, J. Pierrepont Finch, who rises through the ranks of the World Wide Wicket Company using his wit and charm. The original Broadway production was a major success, running for 1,417 performances and winning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Robert Morse won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Finch. The musical's catchy songs, witty dialogue, and satirical take on the corporate world resonated with audiences, and it became a staple of the musical theater repertoire. In 1967, a film adaptation of the musical was released, starring Robert Morse reprising his role as Finch, along with a star-studded cast that included Michele Lee and Rudy Vallee. The film was well-received and helped to introduce the story to a wider audience. "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" has had multiple successful revivals on Broadway. Notable productions include a 1995 revival starring Matthew Broderick and a 2011 revival starring Daniel Radcliffe. Both revivals received critical acclaim and garnered Tony Awards for their leading actors. The musical's enduring popularity is due in part to its timeless themes of ambition, office politics, and the pursuit of success. Its humor and satire continue to resonate with audiences, making it a favorite choice for professional and amateur theater productions alike. With its catchy songs such as "I Believe in You," "Brotherhood of Man," and "The Company Way," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" remains a beloved musical that offers a humorous and entertaining take on the corporate world and the quest for success.}

More

Authors

Original Authors

...
Book
...
Music and Lyrics
...
Source Material

Later Contributors

There are no known writers who contributed to revisions, etc. following the original production.
Genre: Musical Comedy

Source

Based on the book How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying by Shepherd Mead

Synopsis

A musical parody of 1960's corporate America, the show traces the journey of ambitious mailroom clerk J. Pierrepont Finch, who rockets to the top of Worldwide Wickets through a combination of brown-nosing, dumb luck and advice from the guidebook of the title.

Trivia & History

In his memoir, Honest Abe, Abe Burrows recalled how his involvement in this show came about and the process of writing it.

Burrows wrote that when Shepherd Mead's book was published in 1956, an agent sent him a copy thinking it would make a good musical. Without a plot or a story to build on, Burrows did not see how it could be done, and so he passed. Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert wrote a play based on the book and sent it to a number of producers, who all turned it down. When it was sent to Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin, they also did not want to produce the play but Feuer thought the basic property might make a good musical. He asked Burrows to write the libretto and to direct. Since it was Feuer who was proposing the idea, Burrows started to think about it seriously. Burrows had recently had some experiences in the world of big business that helped him see the possibilities of a satire on the subject, but he still was not quite sure. When Feuer suggested Robert Morse for the lead role of Finch, Burrows was convinced, having directed him in the original Broadway production of Say, Darling (1958).

Frank Loesser was approached to write the score but he was also hesitant. He could not see any possibilities for romance, an element that he felt was essential to any musical. Burrows suggested that a young secretary who was a character could be stuck on Finch, but he would be so involved with getting ahead that he had no time for girls. This got Loesser more interested, but he still could not see many song possibilities. Burrows and Loesser kept talking about the show, and bit by bit Loesser came uo with ideas for songs. Meanwhile, there wasn't a book. By the time Burrows started writing, he built his book, at least to some degree, around songs that Loesser had already written.

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Other Titles

  • Comment reussir dans les affaires sans vraiment se fatiguer (French title)
  • H2$ (abbreviated title)
  • Wie man was wird im Leben ohne sich anzustrengen (German title)

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