Reprise Theatre Company announces director and cast for ‘How to Succeed in Business’

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Marcia Milgrom Dodge, who created the recent slimmed-down Broadway revival of ‘Ragtime,’ will direct Reprise Theatre Company’s May production of Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows’ ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’

Heading the cast as aspiring executive J. Pierpont Finch will be Josh Grisetti, who starred in last year’s off-Broadway revival of ‘Enter Laughing: the Musical.’ He also had been set to star in a Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s ‘Broadway Bound’ that was canceled last fall.

Playing Finch’s boss, J.B. Biggley, will be John O’Hurley (right), a familiar television face thanks to ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and a stage veteran who appeared on Broadway in ‘Chicago’ and as King Arthur in the recent L.A. production of ‘Spamalot.’

Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz on CBS’ ‘The Big Bang Theory’) will portray Finch’s rival, Bud Frump.

The casting of other major roles, including Finch’s love interest, secretary Rosemary Pilkington, and the office bombshell, Hedy LaRue, has not been announced.

Dodge was praised by reviewers for streamlining and humanizing the epic 1998 Broadway version of ‘Ragtime,’ the Stephen Flaherty-Lynn Ahrens-Terrence McNally musical based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel. Her production started at the Kennedy Center and then moved to New York, where it opened last fall and closed in January.

Dodge, who also will serve as choreographer for ‘How to Succeed,’ is known for her work at stages around the country, including the Kennedy Center and the Pittsburgh Public Theatre.

‘How to Succeed,’ with its script by Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert and score by Loesser, won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for drama and seven Tonys, including one for its leading man, Robert Morse.

Matthew Broderick received a Tony for playing Finch in a 1995 revival that also starred Megan Mullally.

‘How to Succeed’ will run May 12 through 23 at the Freud Playhouse at UCLA.

-- Karen Wada

Above: John O’Hurley will play J.B. Biggley in the Reprise Theatre Company’s production of ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’

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