How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

With "Mad Men" ending, we could use another source of 1960s fabulousness, and with summer approaching, some laughs and light entertainment are called for. Stoneham Theatre's production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying satisfies both needs. It's a solid, if scaled-down, production from director/choreographer Ilyse Robbins with frequent flashes of greatness.

A Pulitzer prize-winner that can boast two successful Broadway revivals, "How to Succeed" is still a sharp satire of corporate America, its depiction of executive glad-handing and presentations that are long on buzzwords and short on content resonate even in the age of mobile app startups.

With the help of a handy little book, J. Pierrepont Finch (played by the appealing Tyler Bradley Indyck) rises from window washer to executive at the World Wide Wicket Company, falling in love along the way with secretary Rosemary Pilkington (at the performance this reviewer attended played by understudy Laura Graczyk for Ephie Aardema, who starred in last season's "Thoroughly Modern Millie.")

Indyck is a capable center for the energy of "How to Succeed" to swirl around, but it's frequently the supporting characters that are part of that whirlwind who provide the most fun. Chief among them are Neil A. Casey as the company CEO J.B. Biggley and Aimee Doherty as Biggley's bit on the side Hedy LaRue. Casey is all bluster and nervous, sweaty desperation, tinged by a sweetness that makes the character's habit of knitting to relax thoroughly believable. Doherty smartly offsets Hedy's va va voom with an endearing awkwardness; her prat falls are a joy to behold.

Also great fun are Russell Garrett, playing personnel director Bratt as a John Waters doppelganger, and Robert Saoud, pulling the traditional double duty as the cheerful corporate coward head of the mail room (he and Indyck pair for a snappy version of "The Company Way") and the Jersey-accented chairman of the board.

A large part of "How to Succeed's" charm for modern audiences is its retro vibe, and Stoneham's production has that in spades, starting with Jenna McFarland Lord's geometric, pastel-accented set. Too bad the mammoth travelers that efficiently create hallway playing spaces are entirely gray, making for a dull backdrop for several scenes. Elisabetta Polito's costumes add to the fun.

Perhaps director Robbins' greatest asset is the tireless ensemble. The cast size is drastically scaled down, but never feels skimpy. All the ensemble numbers are energetically entertaining, from the nifty caffeine-deprived convulsions of "Coffee Break" to the tap break choreography of "A Secretary Is Not a Toy."

A high point of any production of "How to Succeed" is "Brotherhood of Man," where Finch sings and dances for his corporate life after a particularly terrible marketing campaign and it does not disappoint here either. Indyck and the male ensemble are impressive, singing and dancing full out through the entire song. While the song doesn't escalate into the showstopper it's meant to be, it's still a lot of fun -- something that can be said of Stoneham's production throughout.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying continues through June 7 at the Stoneham Theatre in Stoneham. For more info you can go to the theatre's website