Nicole Parker, best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show "MADtv" plays the role of Rosemary and Melissa Fahn, who starred on Broadway in "Wicked," plays the role of Hedy LaRue in Reprise Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize winning "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. The production began May 11 and runs through May 23. Opening night for the production is tonight, May 12.
Ed Asner, known the world over for his role as Lou Grant on "The
Mary Tyler Moore Show," is featured as The Voice of the Book, the off-stage narrator of "How To Succeed." Asner recently provided the voice of Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's award-winning animated film, "Up."
"How to Succeed" also features
Josh Grisetti,
John O'Hurley,
Simon Helberg,
Vicki Lewis,
Ruth Williamson,
Larry Raben and
Michael Kostroff. Williamson, Raben and Kostroff recently starred in Reprise's critically acclaimed production of "A Funny Thing...."
Completing the cast are
Matt Bauer, E.E. Bell,
Bradley Benjamin, Matt Crabtree, Melissa Lyons,
Jeff Marlow,
Elisa Nixon,
Annie Ramsey, Justin Michael Wilcox and
Ray Wills.
"How to Succeed" is directed and choreographed by
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, whose critically acclaimed production of "Ragtime" transferred from the Kennedy Center to Broadway last fall and won
Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Musical Production and Best Direction. The musical director is
Darryl Archibald. Reprise Theatre Company is headed by Artistic Director
Jason Alexander and Producing Director
Susan Dietz. "How to Succeed" features a book by Abe Burrows,
Jack Weinstock and
Willie Gilbert, and music and lyrics by
Frank Loesser. The show is based on the best selling "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" by
Shepherd Mead.
Dietz said, "There is an exciting group of new, young performers like
Nicole Parker,
Melissa Fahn, Simon Hallberg and
Josh Grisetti, who are coming together for this production at this exciting stage in their career - and to be able to match them with well known veterans like
John O'Hurley and the wonderfully recognizable voice of
Ed Asner exemplifies what Reprise Theatre Company is seeking to do."
Josh Grisetti stars as Finch. Grisetti won the 2009
Theatre World Award and was nominated for the Lortel, Drama League, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for starring in the hit off-Broadway revival of "Enter Laughing" last year, and
John O'Hurley, who recently played King Arthur in "Spamalot" in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as J. B. Biggley.
Simon Helberg, a regular on CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" plays Bud Frump. Reprise veteran Vicki Lewis, star of NBC's "Newsradio" and "Three Sisters" plays Smitty.
The cast features E.E. Bell, Michael Kostroff, Larry Raben, Ruth Williamson, and Ray Wills. The ensemble of "How To Succeed" features Matt Bauer, Bradley Benjamin, Matt Crabtree, Melissa Lyons, Jeff Marlow, Elisa Nixon, Annie Ramsey, and Michael Justin Wilcox.
"How to Succeed" continues through Sunday, May 23 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Single tickets are available for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at
www.reprise.org or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101.
Photo Credit: John Ganun
