This February, an incredible cast of talented Whitman students performed three amazing shows of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The musical tells the story of J. Pierrepont Finch. Played by Trevor Ewald, Finch is a window-washer who aims to climb his way up the ladder of success in the business world. He lands a position in the mailroom of the World-Wide Wicket Company and attempts to use his charm and wit to ascend the ranks as quickly as possible. His situation is complicated when he begins a romantic relationship with Secretary Rosemary Pilkington, played by Caitlin Dermody, which is a big no-no at the World-Wide-Wicket company.  All the while, the boss’s nephew Bud Frump, who is played by Tyler Zeoli, tries to spoil Finch’s plans of becoming a successful businessman.

The three performances were full of laughs from the appreciative crowd, satire, and amazing musical numbers that were all made possible with the help of director Susan Turner Radin, vocal prep Steve Altinel, as well as Allan Deitz and his pit orchestra. The spot-on choreography and amazing talent of each cast member proved just how hard everyone worked before the curtains rose.  Months of preparation went into making the show a success and all the hard work certainly paid off. When asked about the experience, sophomore Sam Hoffman, who played the head of the mailroom Mr. Twimble, replied, “It was cool standing on stage and hearing the applause from the audience.”

After the final musical number of the last performance, the audience gave Whitman’s cast a well-deserved standing ovation. Everyone involved with the musical contributed to making the performances as amazing as they were; it is more than safe to say that How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was indeed an outstanding success.