How well do you know How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying? Test your knowledge of this classic Broadway musical about corporate ambition, office politics, and comedic chaos. From its original 1961 run to its star-studded revivals, this trivia page dives into fun facts about the show's Tony Awards, famous actors, and unique production details. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the story, this is your chance to see how much you really know about J. Pierrepont Finch's rise to the top!
Adaptations
- A television adaptation of 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' aired as an ABC Comedy Special on June 27, 1975, directed by Burt Brinckerhoff.
International Productions
- In June 2023, the Southwark Playhouse in London featured a unique rendition of 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,' with Olivier winner Tracie Bennett playing J. B. Biggley and Michelle Visage voicing 'the book.'
Musical Composition
- The 1967 film adaptation of 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' cut several songs from the original musical score but included musical and verbal references to some, like 'Coffee Break'.
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical that debuted on Broadway in 1961, featuring music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert.
Production Facts
- Mr. Wally Womper and Mr. Twimble are traditionally played by the same actor in the musical.
- 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' was one of the few musicals to win all three major theater awards in the early 1960s: the Tony, the New York Drama Critics Circle award, and the Pulitzer Prize.
- Critically acclaimed, the original 1961 Broadway production received high praise for its satirical humor and musical composition, with Robert Morse's performance being particularly lauded.
- The second Broadway revival of the show in 2011-12 featured Darren Criss and Nick Jonas in the role of J. Pierrepont Finch.
- During its first Broadway revival in 1995-96, 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' saw notable actors like John Stamos and Sarah Jessica Parker join the cast.
- The 2011 Broadway revival featured notable actors such as Daniel Radcliffe as Finch and John Larroquette as J. B. Biggley, with Larroquette winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
- Choreographer Hugh Lambert was credited with the choreography for the original Broadway show, but Bob Fosse was later brought in to replace him, receiving credit for 'musical staging by...'.
- The story follows J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses the advice from the book titled How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to climb from window washer to chairman of the board at the World Wide Wicket Company.
- Daniel Radcliffe starred in a 50th-anniversary revival of the musical that opened on Broadway in 2011.
- A notable 1995 revival of the musical took place in the same theatre as the original, the Richard Rodgers Theatre, and ran for 548 performances.
- Robert Morse, who starred in the original Broadway production, also reprised his role as J. Pierrepont Finch in the 1967 film adaptation.
- The original Broadway production ran for 1,417 performances and won seven Tony Awards, the New York Drama Critics' Circle award, and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
- The musical is based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 satirical book of the same name.
