The West Australian Academy of Performing Arts keeps maintaining its reputation as one of the best training grounds for actors and musical theatre performers, and heading off to see one of their first class productions is a great nights entertainment with the added ability of being able to say in a few years, ‘I remember seeing them back when..’
The next WAAPA musical to hit the stage is How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. OUTinPerth’s Graeme Watson caught up with Director Jason Langley ahead of the opening night.
I must admit apart from it having an incredibly long title, I don’t know much about ‘How to succeed in Business Without Really Trying’
Yes it is an incredibly long title isn’t it? It’s a Pulitzer prize winning musical that came from a novel. There was a novel written in the 50s by Shepherd Mead. It was kind of a satirical book written in the vein of all the other ‘how to’ books back then. It’s a really fun read and you look it and think that maybe the people that read it back then would have had success without really trying. It’s written from the perspective of the young hero of the piece, a window washer, who is reading a book called ‘how to …” and he follows all of the steps of the book and becomes Chairman of the Board. It was quite groundbreaking and bold at the time, it appeared in the early 60s, and kind of stabbed at the heart of everything that was sacred to corporate America. It’s very funny however the comedy in it comes from absolute truth really.
It’s had huge success with revivals on Broadway and a lot of interest from some quite famous actors.
Yeah, Daniel Radcliffe played Finch the hero, then Darren Kris from Glee, and then one of the Jonas brothers.
What’s the challenge of staging this as a musical?
Staging any musical comes with great challenges but the biggest challenge for me as a director especially one with that has been written in that era and one like this musical is perceived as being an all singing all dancing extravaganza is to really get to the heart of the matter and not try and play the comedy – let the comedy come out of the given circumstances that the writers dump these characters in. You know there is some really funny stuff in it. I’m not letting the actors play comedy, they’ve got to boldly go into it for the truth. The other big challenge is having thirty six people in the cast and managing all that traffic.
The challenge of the modern musical of course is that the cost can be quite preventative and with WAAPA you can do those larger casts.
Yes rarely, only big commercial companies who have big producers on board would consider this and even thirty six actors then can be prohibitive. The chance to be invited over to WAAPA [to direct] is amazing and fantastic and a great opportunity.
So how are finding the WAAPA students?
They are fantastic to work with. I’ve directed there before and I find it a real shot in the arm. They’re not at all cynical or jaded about the industry at all. You’re working with these incredibly excited young people who are eager to soak everything up and are ready to play.
I’m looking forward to seeing the show as I’m a big lover of musicals and it’s one I haven’t seen.
Yes well it’s terrific one and it was turned into a movie in the mid ‘60s. After the run on Broadway they transplanted virtually all the cast, except the leading lady, and made the film. See the stage version first because the movie butchered the songs and in my opinion they were the best songs.
It’s a funny one because the songs are so amazingly integrated into the show it was difficult to lift them out and lift it into a pop record which they did to many musicals of that era. There weren’t one or two songs that could just be lifted out and reproduced in a record.
That’s probably quite a good sign actually since they say of musicals, if a song doesn’t carry the story forward, it shouldn’t be there.
Yeah that’s right, exactly. This one does all of that and it’s funny that this one isn’t your typical romantic love story, it’s not your typical wet leading man and sappy soprano ingénue. He’s an everyman character and she’s a ballsy ‘60s character who knows what she wants and knows how she’s gonna get it. Their love story isn’t typical either – they’re both so driven about what they want that their paths keep missing . And another interesting thing too, much like Will and Grace, where Will and Grace were the lead character but it was really Jack and Karen who often stole some limelight.
And it’s all ‘60s retro chic and style, like Mad Men, which before this show I had never seen. So I thought I better watch it first for reference, and the week later I was up to series 4. It’s so beautifully done and became a big influence. We’ve also borrowed elements from other ‘60s shows like The Jetsons and Bewitched. And as it’s set in big business which everyone can relate to – they will recognise themselves and they’ll recognise others around them. I think concepts like this are still relevant today, just look at The Office.
There can’t be many musicals which have won a Pulitzer?
There are only a handful. There’s A Chorus Line, Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George and Next to Normal. A Chorus Line changed the face of Broadway as it was the first Broadway musical that was developed through workshop.
I didn’t know How to Succeed very well before I worked on it, but I really grew to love it. What it has to say was so relevant then and really lampooned big business in America and I think that is also very relevant today.
How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying is playing at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco from June 15 – 23. For tickets call the Regal Hotline 1300 795 012 or visit ticketek.com.au
Graeme Watson
