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TEEN MUSICAL THEATER OF OREGON Teen Musical Theater: Laughing up the corporate ladder TMTO presents 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' Comment By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2016 at 1:35 PM By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2016 at 1:35 PM » Social News Big business means big laughs in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," a tune-filled lampoon of life on the corporate ladder. This satire follows the rise of young man J. Pierrepont Finch, who with nothing but a little handbook titled "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" aspires to move from lowly window washer to high-powered executive. Along the way, he tackles familiar — but potent — dangers as the aggressively compliant "company man," the office party, backbiting co-workers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love. Craterian Performances' Teen Musical Theater of Oregon will stage this musical comedy at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 3-4, and 2 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Craterian Theater, 23 S. Central Ave., Medford. Doug Warner directs. Tickets are $24, $14 for ages 18 and younger, and can be purchased at the Craterian box office, 16 S. Bartlett St., online at craterian.org or by calling 541-779-3000. The 1961 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical features a score by Frank Loesser — "I Believe in You," "Brotherhood of Man," "The Company Way" and more — was inspired by "The Dastard's Guide to Fame and Fortune," a book of humor written in 1952 by Shepherd Mead. "We are sticking to the original script and will do it in the period of the early '60s," says Warner. "Our cast gives us an opportunity to really go for a comedic version, and I'm giving them a bunch of funny bits to do. "I have Josiah Arthur as J.B. Biggley, the boss at World Wide Wicket Co. He can be very funny, a showstopper. He plays Biggley as an Ed Begley type of guy, one who is a bit of a bumbling idiot. No one knows how he got to be head of the company. He knits, wears ridiculous costumes and silly golf outfits," Warner says. "We never find out what a wicket is either," he says. "It's just a doohickey. A worldwide doohickey." Braden Day plays the young protagonist J. Pierrepont Finch and Maya Patridge plays his love interest, secretary Rosemary. Evan Sheets plays Biggley's nephew Bud Frump, who is trying to climb the corporate ladder using his family connections. "Bud provides a lot of comic relief," Warner says. "He's a talented magician and juggler, so I've added some juggling to the show. He works in the company's mail room, so I have him juggles boxes of mail in one scene. "This musical is heavy with male roles," Warner says. "There are lots of characters who are Biggley's junior executives that follow him around. His yes men." There are about 50 kids and teens in TMTO's production of "How to Succeed in Business." There were 70 in last year's "Peter Pan." Eighteen boys have been cast for "How to Succeed." "This is the third children's theater I've worked with, and I've never seen 18 boys involved in one show," Warner says. "That tells me that TMTO is a special program that attracts a lot of people. Once a kid comes into the program, they want to do play after play. I've seen some TMTO kids move on to college and become theater majors. Some graduate and go on to work in theater for a living. It's cool to watch that progression." Most kids come from families whose parents are involved with their children's education, others are falling through the cracks, not doing well in school or have few friends, Warner says. "They're having trouble," he says. "But you should see how fast they turn around when they come into the program. I get to see that." With budget cuts to art, theater, music and dance programs in local schools, TMTO fills a void for many students, Warner says. By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2016 at 1:35 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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