Barn Players "How to Succeed in Business" review by mindy60

They Succeed in Theater

Rating: 5

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying 

The Barn Players, Inc.

I went to "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" opening weekend and was impressed again by the quality of shows produced by the Barn Players.

The musical revolves around the story of a young man J. Pierpont Finch played by Adam McAdoo. His voice was very well suited for the role and his boyish charm made the character endearing. His romantic counterpart Rosemary played by Erin Coleman was well played as the secretary who falls in love with the new rising star of the company. Her voice was flawless with a great tone and expression.

Notable roles in the show include Bud Frump, Smitty , Hedy LaRue, and Mr Bratt each perfect in there roles and they all brought life and humor to the stage.

The cast is filled with many cameo roles all of which had their moments on the stage adding to the story and flow of the show. Casting for this production was spot on without a real weak link. Everyone embraced their roles to make use of every moment on the stage.

Congratulation has to go out to Eric Van Horn director and set designer. Not only did he put together an entertaining show and cast, but he designed a set that was filled with moving platforms, rolling walls, and a working elevator. There were so many different locations in this show, but each were unique and fitting of the scene. The color pallet was bright a vibrant and costumes by Francine Kapono played into the wacky world of World Wide Wickets.

Choreography by Guy Gardner was spot on for the big production numbers especially "The Brotherhood of Man". It is very exciting to see a stage fill with men all dancing in sync to such a crowd pleasing musical number. "Coffee Break" also captured the audience with the panic one feels when the coffee pot goes dry.

You can find flaws with most shows: this production is no different. One or two of the many scene changes were a little clumsy, but I have give credit to stage crew because the majority were seamless. Though vocals were consistently goo,d there were some flaws with the orchestra. The show started out with a few misplaced notes and a lack of musical unity. Overall, they were together for most of the show. I felt some of the non dance songs lacked creative planning. I wasn't that impressed with one of the actor's portrayal of his role and to me there seemed to be a few times where he was searching for the next line. Lighting had its great moments and its shadowy uneven moments. There may have been a light out the night I saw the show, because Rosemary's desk area seemed very dark. Audio is audio as in every show I see occasional feedback and crackling microphones. But I will say the sound effects worked very well from the many elevator dings, Book Voice (which was done by Joel Nichols of KMBC) and Finch's smile chime.

There are two more weekends left to see this outstanding production at the Barn Players. I highly recommend seeing this show it was well worth the ticket price and we had a great evening of entertainment. I am continually amazed with the quality of some area community theaters.