Courtesy Photo by Bronwyn Woolman The cast of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” poses at a recent dress rehearsal. The musical comedy opens Friday at Alpena Civic Theatre.

You don’t need an MBA to learn how to succeed in business. In fact, you don’t even really have to try.

Alpena Civic Theatre presents “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” opening at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

“It’s a tongue-in-cheek cynical spear job on corporate America,” said Director Pat Jacques. “It’s beautiful.”

The story follows young go-getter J. Pierrepont Finch, who starts as a window-washer and works his way up the ranks in a huge corporation, the World Wide Wicket Company, within a short period of time.

This musical satire is “an irreverent and tuneful romp, jam-packed from the office party and back stabbing coworkers to caffeine addiction and, of course, true love,” as described on ACT’s website.

“It’s really an intelligent script, a musical comedy,” Jacques said. “It’s very funny, there are a lot of laugh lines. The show flies right along. It’s quite a big show, but it won’t be boring.”

This is a first in Alpena, he said.

“I don’t think this show has ever been done in Alpena,” said Jacques, who has been active in the theater since 1970. “One reason is it’s big and it’s difficult.”

Directing a musical with a cast of nearly 25 people is a much bigger endeavour than a small stage play.

“The last musical I directed was ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ in 1971,” Jacques said. “I’ve directed probably 50 stage plays.”

He said it’s a big undertaking, but he’s up for the challenge.

“When you’ve got a big rambling musical, it’s kind of like herding cats,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s this giant group, but it’s a great bunch of people. There’s a lot of love down there.”

He said the cast and crew are all talented, dedicated community members. The stage will be filled with a mix of seasoned performers and new young actors.

“We’ve got some big stars ­– Dave Usher, Joe Rybarczyk, who’s a television personality at WBKB, Matt Southwell, who’s a seasoned actor, been to Hollywood, et cetera, Marlo Broad,” Jacques said. “We even lured Karl Heidemann down from Rogers City, and he plays one of the executives, and he’s tremendous. And then we have Scott Ickes and Bill Powell to round out the veteran singers.”

He said playgoers will be delighted with the talented performers.

“Matt Southwell who plays Bud Frump, he’s just a complete comedic bad guy, and the guy has got so much talent,” Jacques said. “The audience is going to love him.”

“We’ve got some great young talent too, especially Olivia Martin, who plays Rosemary, the female lead, and Angelina Burcar, who plays her kind of sidekick, another secretary named Smitty.”

The cast includes Rybarczyk as Finch, Martin as Rosemary Pilkington, Usher as company bigwig J.B. Biggley, Southwell as his arrogant and lazy nephew Frump, Tracie Papin as Biggley’s ditzy mistress Hedy LaRue, Broad as Miss Jones, Burcar as Smitty, Natalie Dozier as Matthews, Heidemann as Mr. Bert Bratt and Davis, Jacques as Mr. Twimble, Ickes as Mr. Milton Gatch and Toynbee, Marilyn Kettler as Miss Krumholtz, Powell as Mr. Wally Womper, Nick Stone as Tackaberry, Kial Wade as Jenkins, and Jolee Greer and Linda Suneson as scrubwomen. Chorus members are Jessica Black, Dozier, Greer, Heidemann, Stone, Suneson, Doug Niergarth, Bob Stelyk and Jim Phillips.

Jacques said the music and dancing will be impressive and entertaining.

“There are about 15 musical numbers,” Jacques said. “We didn’t cut anything. We figured ‘We’re doing the show, let’s do the show!'”

Choreographers are Becky Saddler and Marilyn Kettler. Jean Brown-Baker is musical director, David Delano is on keyboards, and Randy Bouchard is on drums.

“We’ve got a great production team,” Jacques added. “Carol Rundell is the producer. Jay Kettler is assistant director. His wife Marilyn Kettler is not only in the musical, she has helped with the choreography and is doing the costuming. They’ve pretty much dedicated their entire lives to this production.”

Stage manager is Doreen Kriniak, assisted by Jackie Gruhlke.

Although the musical is based on the 1952 book of the same name, subtitled “The Dastard’s Guide to Fame and Fortune,” by Shepherd Mead, it differs widely from the book. It was adapted into a musical in 1961 by Jacob Weinstock, Willie Gilbert and Abe Burrows. Music was composed by Frank Loesser.

The ACT production has a large cast in a small town, so because of scheduling conflicts with the Besser Chorus on Thursdays, there will be no Thursday performances, Jacques said.

For tickets, call the ACT box office at 989-354-3624, open from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to curtain prior to evening shows, and noon to curtain on Sundays. The theater is located at 401 River Street in Alpena.

“The show is dedicated to the memory of Evelyn Hunter,” Jacques said. “She was a stalwart in the theater for 30 to 40 years, actually, and recently passed away. I thought it would be a fitting tribute to her to do a great big musical and dedicate it to her because she worked so hard for so many years at the theater.”

Reach Darby Hinkley at 989-358-5691 or dhinkley@thealpenanews.com.