As the saying goes, “Comedy is subjective,” and what one person finds hilarious may ring hollow for the next. Audiences might find that to be true with San Diego Musical Theatre’s production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” directed by Omri Schein.
The story follows a young man named J. Pierrepont Finch (Frankie Errington), who starts out as a window washer and slowly climbs the corporate ladder through the self-help book “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” With hijinks and colorful musical numbers along the way, Finch soon finds himself in over his head and scrambles to keep his good name and good standing.
Many patrons found the musical to be a laugh-out-loud romp, but this reviewer just didn’t think it was all that funny. That’s not to say it was a bad production; SDMT put on a great show, featuring a stellar cast, a fun set and jovial choreography. However, the 1961 musical is terribly dated and doesn’t retain the golden-age-of-musicals charm that so many other shows seem to have.
The musical is very clearly a satire of men in the corporate world, but even the satire itself feels stuck in the 1960s. The song “A Secretary Is Not a Toy” tries to display the secretaries as the ones in charge of their bosses, but satirizing workplace sexual harassment feels very out of place in this day and age. There’s also a gag about a gorilla randomly showing up in the elevators. And that’s all there is to that joke.
The highlight of the entire production comes from the cast, and not just a few standouts, but the entire leading, supporting and ensemble team. Errington absolutely shines as Finch. They are charming and likable in the role, carrying the show from beginning to end. As Finch’s secretary and love interest, Rosemary, Jasmine January adds a peppiness that fits the tone perfectly, and her voice is beautiful, to boot. Local favorites Robert Townsend and Sandy Campbell, as J.B. Biggley and Miss Jones, respectively, are wonderful in their roles. Rounding out the cast are Cody Bianchi, Cameron Blankenship, Xavier J. Bush, Zane Camacho, Sam Castillo, Brice Daniel, Abby Depuy, Katie Flores, Eliott Goretsky, Megan Kuramoto-Tafolla, Mikaela Rae Macias, Sarah Smudz, Joe Stein, Sasha Weiss and Kylie Young. A special shoutout to Autumn Kirkpatrick in the role of Hedy LaRue; she stole the show every time she was on stage. This production has a cast of 20, and everyone was used very well.
The set designed by Mike Buckley is vibrant and borderline electric with its neon colors and sharp angles. This is only accentuated by Sammy Webster and Joshue Heming’s fun and dynamic lighting design. The two elements together give the show a fun edge. Xavier J Bush’s choreography was also a highlight, again utilizing that cast of 20 to its fullest potential.
The broad comedy here just doesn’t seem to have the wittiness that similar shows like “The Producers” do so well. The musical as a whole does a disservice to its different components; there’s catchy music and a solid book here, but the jokes just don’t stick the landing.
(Photo credit: Karli Cadel)
To See or Not To See 
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