Drama Club Succeeds in Business

Brian Quigley, Emma Kaiven, Lianna Johnson and Cody Jackson in the Spring Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. (Photo courtesy of Richard Patricia)

Is it really possible to begin washing the windows of a worldwide corporation to ending up being the one in charge? The Warren Hills Drama Club would say yes, as they presented their spring musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying which not only answers the question, but provides the means of answering the question as well.

The story follows an ambitious, young J. Peirrepont Finch, a window washer as he climbs the proverbial ladder of business to obtain the status of Chairman of the World-Wide Wicket Company.

Finch is guided by a book, quite appropriately named, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Throughout the show, the book provides Finch with the when’s and how’s of corporate climbing.

So it remains to be said that How to Succeed satirically touches on all the points of working in a corporate environment.  From the high-power boss, to the whiny nephew miraculously employed by his uncle, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine addictions, and office romances, the Warren Hills Drama Club brought How to Succeed to life without fail.

This specific show is an energetic step by step guide on how to cheat and lie your way to being top dog.  With lively songs and toe tapping dance routines, it is impossible to not to think that maybe becoming the boss isn’t that difficult.

The cast was mostly female, but still called for a strong male ensemble, as the show is about a man’s station in the workplace. All concern was thrown to the wind when the ensemble of men performed the first male song “The Company Way”.

The leading man, junior Cody Jackson, as Finch, brought the schemer to life. He took Finch from the window washer to the chairman with style and ease and the audience seemed to agree as well.

The male opposition to Jackson’s Finch was junior Brian Quigley’s Bud Frump.  Frump is the nepotism-minded nephew of the president of the company.  He does everything he can to get ahead of Finch, except do his job.

Junior Ben Larson played Mr. Biggley, the president of World Wide Wickets. He stood as the backbone of the company, that did not take no for an answer.

Jackson, Quigley and Larson did an outstanding job bringing their characters to life.  Not only did they complement each other characteristically, but vocally as well.

The women of the show, Rosemary. Smitty and Heady LaRue, played by Emma Kaiven, Lianna Johnson, and Vanessa Falzarano respectively, were a delight to watch.  Each played a very different role, but were all significant members of the cast.

While the casting was spot on, and the production was a showstopper it did have one flaw that could have caused the audience to lose slight interest..  The ensemble dance numbers and sub-plot conversations were executed well, but the show could have been quite a lot shorter, while still addressing necessary storyline.

For example, while the “Coffee Break” scene was entertaining, lively and well performed, the entire number could essentially be removed from the show without affecting any element besides production value.  This of course has nothing to do with the way the Drama Club performed it, and everything to do with the script.

All in all, the Warren Hills Drama Club succeeded in putting on a great spring show that will leave no audience member wondering how to spell Finch. In the running joke in the show, Finch spells it out to make sure no one forgets his name while he’s on the up and up.  In case it wasn’t clear, its F-I-N-C-H.