“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” is the college’s spring musical. The musical comedy is about an ambitious young man’s rise from window washer to chairman of the board.
This spring musical is more challenging than the other plays that the theater put on. This play requires more than the normal set changes that viewers see with a typical play. Dr. Michelle Filling-Brown, chair department of English, said, “Since the black box theater is so small and is a strange shape, the challenge to have a successful show and have everything run smoothly is going to be a tough one.”
“We have to apply for each play that that we want to hold,” Filling-Brown said. “The international organization will either accept or decline us depending on whether the play is being held at too many other schools around Cabrini. “
To secure the rights to the musical, the school has to pay a fee to the organization and wait to see if they get accepted.
While they are waiting, they have to hold auditions to get the cast that they want. The audition process is long and complicated for some. Head shots are required along with a professional resume. All auditions take place during the semester before the play is set to take stage.
Freshman Brittany Lambert said, “The audition process is very laid-back. We usually pick a song from the musical to sing and read some monologues.” Students audition for the musicals by themselves then with partners.
Singing range is very important for the musical this year, as well as dancing. Filling-Brown is the choreographer. Since this show has more dance numbers than most plays so far, it is challenging to come up with good choreography.
Filling-Brown said, “Sometimes when we aren’t real sure about a character and want to take a another look at our options we will hold callbacks. Callbacks are all done by vocal range of the students auditioning.”
Filling-Brown said, “Singing range is very important for the musical this year, as well as dancing.” Students also have to memorize the song lyrics as well as the monologue during the winter break.
Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Not everyone is called to each rehearsal.
“Rehearsals last about two to three hours,” Lambert said. “On Tuesdays and Thursdays we start in the evenings and on some weekends we start early.”
This year’s musical is a large cast of mostly all males. There is also a good range of vocals in the cast of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
“This musical is one of my favorites so far,” Filling-Brown said. “The time period is base in the 1950s. The style of the play is like “mad men”. Their fashion is how I like to dress.”
