Prep Junior Matt Seib took to the big stage this March, starring as J.P. Finch in the Fifth Avenue Theatre’s musical How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Performed March 3-5 over just one weekend on the Fifth Avenue stage, the musical was the result of Rising Star, a program that provides opportunities for students to experience and participate in a professional style stage production.
How to Succeed is a cynical musical comedy about a young professional trying to move up in his company. A professional production of the play graced the stage in January and February, followed by the Rising Star production in March. This version utilized the set and budget of the professional production, but was acted, staffed, and scored entirely by students from around the city.
During the process, Seib worked closely with Erik Ankrim, the star of the professional show, on perfecting the character of J.P. Finch, a young, ambitious businessman trying to move up in the world. Musicians, stage hands, and other actors worked with their counterparts as well. Seib described the production as “a mix in different ways” between the student actors’ efforts and the actions of the main stage production. “The actions were word for word what they did,” Seib said, “but the intentions behind the characters were different.”
How to Succeed focuses on Seib’s character, J.P. Finch, who, following the advice of a book of the same title, sings, dances, and uses any method necessary to climb the corporate ladder of the World Wide Wicket Corporation. Rivals, bosses, and potential love interests all compete, compare colleges, and lament about missing coffee as Finch’s mounting responsibilities bring him spiraling towards disaster.
The play benefited greatly from a professional blueprint to work off of, retaining its set, costume design, and choreography. Catchy songs, well choreographed dances, and fantastic performances around the board came together to create an experience less like a student project and more like a Broadway production.
This product was the result of immense effort, hard work, and stress. Seib summed up his feelings about the process, saying, “It was weird because it was so short.” A two month rehearsal process sped by, followed by only two quick shows.
Used to performing on smaller stages around town and the Seattle Prep stage, Seib described the feeling of performing on Fifth Ave: “It’s a different sound,” said Seib, “people are farther away.” Despite the change of scale, Seib didn’t have any nerves about the show. “It just kind of happened, I guess,” he said, laughing, “it’s hard to describe.”
Seib plans to continue doing village theater in the future, and hopes to repeat his participation in Rising Star production next year. Look out for next year’s Rising Star Fifth Avenue production to support theatre students around the city and see some great theatre as well