Of course I loved the 1967 movie starring Robert Morse (who now plays Bert Cooper on "Mad Men") and saw it quite a few times. But I'd never seen a rendition of either the original 1961 Broadway show from which the movie sprang or the 1990s retooled run from which this production is taken. And seeing how the troupe of local boys and girls from little ol' Orlando treated it, this musical must be one of their favorites too. You could really tell that each cast member was having a ball putting on this fantastic show.
The plot basically follows something like this: Ambitious, but corner-cutting young window washer reads a "how to" book on getting ahead quickly in a business career, and sets about to implement what he learns. He rises through the ranks of a large New York based corporation in Space Age fashion...that is - like a rocket! Through opportunistic guile and a heck of a lot of sheer luck, he gets promotion after promotion to the utter frustration of his coworkers and happens to fall in love along the way. Of course, it's a very campy comedy.
The musical numbers were spot on. The set design was decent. And like the Philharmonic's production of the opera "Madama Butterfly" I'd attended last month, they placed the orchestra right on stage behind the players. Sometimes even interacting within the scenes to hilarious effect.
Needless to say, I got my $35 worth. For sure. I'll probably see the Broadway musical touring production of "Book of Mormon" in October here at the Bob Carr but after that, we'll pretty much be at the end of the 2013 season and I'll wait out for the 2014 season's first performances at the new performing arts center currently under construction. So maybe one last time ol' Bob Carr, then it's adios to you, forever, mu chacho!