MVL is holding performances of the 1961 musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, April 26; 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28. All performances will be held at The State Street Theater Co., in New Ulm. Tickets are $5 (K-12) and $7 for adults and may be purchased at the door.

“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” tells the story of J. Pierpont Finch (played by Joseph Schroeder) as he climbs the corporate ladder with the help of a book. Finch starts as a young window cleaner in New York City, but as he follows the advice of the book he receives new opportunities for promotion. However, the corporate world is filled with other people trying to advance and as Finch rises in the businesses world the obstacles increase.

Director and MVL teacher Jennifer Uher said the production has benefited from having a strong cast and crew. The musical features an extensive cast of characters and a lot of choreography with the song and dance numbers and everyone came prepared to learn.

Finch (Joseph Schroeder) and JB Biggley (Henry Manthe) Celebrating Old Ivy and defeating the Chipmunks in a scene from "How to Succeed at Business Without Really Trying."

“The student are 100% the musicals best asset,” Uher said. “We have an outstanding group of kids who work to raise the bar.”

Uher said the show benefit from having several returning senior actors, including the leads Joseph Schroeder as Finch and Bethany Spike as Rosemary Pilkington.

Schroeder said he has been in every spring play all four years of his high school career, starting with “Harvey” in 2020. He remembers that production was a challenge because it was at the height of COVID. Throughout his four years acting in MVL plays he remains impressed with the high quality of the productions.

“MVL has a high standard for productions and we are holding to it,” he said. The big difference he noticed with “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” is there is a lot more extra comedy business.

“[I am] playing kind of a simple person but one who is super expressive,” Schroeder said of his character J. Pierpont Finch. “You have to bring a quirkiness to the character but with simple emotions. You want to make the audience go ‘awwwww.”

Spike said it was the same for her character of Rosemary Pilkington. There needed to be a simpleness to the character’s emotions, but that made it challenging.

Spike has been performing in MVL plays for three years, bus said of all the characters she played, Pilkington might be the most difficult.

“I relate to this role more than the other characters I’ve played,” she said. “I was nothing like the other characters I played. In a way that makes this harder.”

Spike said director Uher and producer Becky Berg helped a great deal.

“They are amazing and so easy to work with,” she said.

Uher also praised Berg’s work on the play. She was able to round up the necessary props, costumes and wigs for the show. This was especially challenging for a show set in the early 1960s.

The costume and period accurate props helped the cast get into character. However there was one unique problem, the ’60s era telephone props.

Berg said at the beginning of the play the young actors were holding the receivers too far from their faces. The high school actors needed to be taught how to hold a phone with a hand set receiver.

Aside from the outdated technology, Uher said the students took very well the early 60s setting.

“I think they are always excited to do something from another era,” Uher said “even if it doesn’t immediately relate to them.”

Asked which musical number was the cast’s favorite, Uher said there were many great numbers but “Brotherhood of Man” was their favorite. She was also impressed with the tap dance scene in “Cinderella, Darling.”

Uher said one of the best parts of directing “How to Succeed at Business Without Trying” is there were several great songs.

“There is something for everyone in this show,” she said.

Cast List

J. Pierpont Finch……………………………Joe Schroeder

Rosemary Pilkington………………………Bethany Spike

Smitty…………………………………………………………Claire Woller

Bud Frump…………………………………………………Caleb Pavelchik

J.B. Biggley…………………………………………Henry Manthe

Hedy LaRue………………………………………………Amber Merseth

Bratt……………………………………………………………Jacob Guenther

Mr. Twimble/Executive…………………Caleb Moldstad

Miss Jones………………………………………………Abby Hartwig

Director: Jennifer Uher

Producer: Becky Berg

Assistant to the Director/Backstage Manager: Adyson Tweit