Edinburgh Music Theatre goes back to the ‘60s with new show
Edinburgh Music Theatre (EMT) is set to go back to the ‘60s with its spring 2013 production, ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’
Following the success of its previous musical productions, dark tale ‘Sweeney Todd’ in 2012, ‘Rent’ in 2011, and the ‘80s pop-tastic ‘Footloose’ in 2010, EMT is travelling back to the decade of ‘Hair’ (produced by the company in 2009), the swinging sixties.
This time, however, the style is more the glamour of TV’s ‘Mad Men’, than the Summer of Love.
Set in the early 1960s, ‘How to Succeed…’ tells the story of J. Pierrepont Finch, a young window washer who, with the help of the book entitled How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, rises to become chairman of the board of the World Wide Wicket Company.
Along the way Finch meets a whole host of characters, including J.B. Biggley, the boss of the company; Rosemary Pilkington, a secretary and potential love interest; and Hedy LaRue, Biggley’s attractive but dim-witted mistress. What ensues is a comedic battle of the sexes for centre-stage, with musical numbers including ‘Brotherhood of Man’, ‘A Secretary is Not a Toy’ and the titular, ‘How to Succeed’.
Kenneth Pinkerton, of Edinburgh Music Theatre, said:
“We are delighted to be producing ‘How to Succeed…’ for 2013. I think the last couple of years the shows have been a bit on the darker side and this year we wanted to do a show that was fun and refreshing; ‘How to Succeed…’ is definitely that! We’re delighted with the great cast and production team this year, who have certainly pulled out all the stops to produce a fantastic show. It’s got rivalry, jealously, comedy, tap-dancing secretaries and some fantastic songs – what more could you ask for?!”
The musical was originally written by Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows (the team also behind ‘Guys and Dolls’) and first opened on Broadway in 1961, with Robert Morse in the lead role of Finch. It was also made into a film in 1967, with Morse reprising his role (interestingly, Morse has been most familiar on our TV screens of late for his role in ‘Mad Men’!) More recent revivals have seen Matthew Broderick and Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role.
Listings information
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
Tuesday 19 - Saturday 23 March 2013, 7.30pm (2.30pm Saturday matinee)
Church Hill Theatre, Morningside Road, Edinburgh
Ticket prices: Tuesday all tickets £10; Wednesday- Saturday evenings £14 (£12 concession) Saturday matinee £12 (£10 concession)
www.edinburghtheatre.co.uk
Principal cast
J. Pierrepont Finch - ADAM SCOTT PRINGLE
Rosemary Pilkington - EMILY GOAD
J.B. Biggley - KENNETH PINKERTON
Bud Frump - DAVID DOHERTY
Hedy LaRue - JOSEPHINE HEINEMEIER
Smitty - CAVELL KNOWLES
Miss Krumholtz – CAROLINE HOOD
Miss Jones - JULIA MORE
Production team
Director – MICHAEL RICHARDSON
Musical Director – NEIL METCALFE
Choreographer – SUSAN HARVEY
About Edinburgh Music Theatre
Edinburgh Music Theatre (EMT) was formed in 1982 to perform large-scale musicals in major theatres. Our aim was to produce shows that none of the other companies in the Capital would attempt, achieving the highest possible standard in performance, while appealing to as broad a range of audience as possible. Whilst company members are all amateur, the shows are all professionally directed both dramatically and musically. Testament to this policy are the rave reviews , and the fact that several members of the company have moved onto the professional scene, performing on the West End stage, and internationally. Recent musical productions include: ‘Sweeney Todd’ (2012), ‘Rent’ (2011), ‘Footloose’ (2010), ‘Hair’ (2009) and ‘A Chorus Line’ (2008).
Reviews:
Sweeney Todd
**** “A production to be proud of” – Edinburghguide.com
**** “A cut above the rest” – Edinburgh Evening News
- Log in to post comments