By Mary Ann Bourbeau
LINCROFT – Many theater productions face a similar problem in 2019 – how to update a period show to portray women in a more empowered way without making drastic changes to the storyline. Premier Theatre Company met the challenge head on with its upcoming production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
The musical, based on Shepherd Mead’s 1952 book of the same name, tells the story of an ambitious window washer named J. Pierrepont Finch who, with the help of the book “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” advances to chairman of the board of the Worldwide Wicket Company. Along the way, Finch meets an ambitious young secretary named Rosemary Pilkington, a woman who dreams of nothing more than marrying an executive.
“Our biggest challenge was how to best portray the big business world of the ‘60s and how it relates to today’s society, which is drastically different in terms of the workplace, especially male/female relationships,” said the show’s director, Brenden Kortenhaus. “Men were the power bosses and women just worked for them. Rosemary is infatuated with Finch – she’s a woman who knows what she wants out of life. We flipped the table to give the women in the show a lot more agency, assertion and control.”
“How to Succeed” will run from June 21- 30 at the Henderson Theatre in Lincroft on the campus of Christian Brothers Academy. The show stars David Shirley of Ocean Township as Finch and Janice Liddy of Brick as Rosemary. Among the other cast members are Shane Kirchner as Bud Frump, Amethyst Fiorentino as Smitty, Roman Sohor as J.B. Biggley, Michael Skloff as Mr. Bratt and Jacqueline Hennessy as Hedy LaRue.
“It’s a nice mix of returning Premier people and a couple of new people,” said Kortenhaus. “David (Shirley) has been with Premier a long time. This is a bucket list role of his and he’s going to do an incredible job. His musical abilities are very strong. Janice (Liddy) really steals her scenes. She’ll knock your socks off.”
The show is choreographed by Donna Battaglia and will be performed with a 10-piece orchestra, led by music director Robert Sammond.
“The music has a great swing brass sound with high energy for the comedic relief songs,” said Kortenhaus, a CBA graduate who earned a master’s degree in theater and nonprofit management from Villanova University in 2016.
The partnership between CBA and Premier Theatre has been beneficial for both. High school students are encouraged to participate on stage and behind the scenes. They can learn lighting, costumes, set design, choreography, directing, marketing and even fundraising.
“They learn all the various aspects required to put on a production,” he said. “Our professional members guide them through the process by giving them a project of their own.”
Kortenhaus, who is also vice president of Premier’s board of trustees, became affiliated with the theater company while in high school, working the lights for “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 2008 and performing in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” the following year.
“I dipped my toes into everything,” he said. “Directing ultimately became my favorite, being able to bring a show to life, to take the text on the page and create a visual experience.”
Tickets for “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $15 for students. For more information, call 732-774-7827 or visit premiertheatre.com.
Arts and entertainment reporter Mary Ann Bourbeau can be reached at mbourbeau@tworiver times.com.
