How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (1973)
Arty-facts courtesy of Peter Green ('73)
Director Mr. Stephen Piorkowski recalls the JHS production of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, which took to the stage on February 2 and 3, 1973:
While working on Good News in 1971-72, I
saw how talented the tenth- and eleventh-graders were and decided that
How to Succeed would be the perfect show to
showcase so many talented students. Working with students like Peter
Green, Roberta Eagle, Corey Pepper, Elyse Pepper, Charlie Koppelman, Anne
Glussman, et al., was an enjoyable experience from start to finish. The
only glitch was that Peter, the star and anchor of the show, came down with
mono at the start of rehearsals. We worked around him, waiting the six weeks
for him to recover.
With the help of two English teachers, Judy Klaif and Gene Huber, I honed some scenes to perfection, rehearsing them over and over to keep the cast involved and interested. I particularly remember the "Coffee Break" number, a rousing full-cast number, being reworked until, finally, it was a fun song and dance number to perform. The cast never tired of performing it.
Then there was the finale. I'm a fan of the big finish in musicals, and while we waited for Peter to recover, we worked on what we all wanted to be a sensational finale. I had chosen to reprise the song "The Brotherhood of Man," a big choral number, and persuaded the music director to score an eight-to-ten minute arrangement. I had no idea how I was going to stage it: I only knew it was going to be big..
There wasn't a choreographer among us, but we bumbled along, rehearsal after rehearsal, doing marching steps in time to the music, bumping into each other, stepping on each other, until the number took shape, and we looked forward to rehearsing it. It was truly a group effort and paid off handsomely: We all felt proud of our accomplishment.
Some stand-out memories include:
Roberta Eagle's magnificent voice belting out "New Rochelle."
Peter Green's terrific rendering of "I Believe in You."
The comedic talents of Corey Pepper, Charlie Koppelman, and Anne Glussman.
Elyse Pepper's perfect reading of the line "Screw you," for which I took some flack from the administration.
The elevator door that didn't always open properly.
The hard work and dedication of the cast, crew, and orchestra, whose patience always astounded me.
It was one of the most enjoyable shows I have ever worked on.
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