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How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Frank Loesser's and Abe Burrows' classic 1961 musical, produced by Northwestern University's Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts in winter 2026 and directed by Christopher Michael Richardson with a late 1980s gender-bending twist.

Production Team: 

Director: Christopher Michael Richardson
Asst. Directors: Theo Rickert, Mariah Waters

Choreographer: Chrissy Martin

Asst. Choreographers: Joey Collins, Mary Kate Tanselle

Music Director: Selina Liu

Assoc. Music Director: Jordan Klein
Scenic Designer: Sara Azampanah
Costume Designer: Naya Tadavarthy

Asst. Costume Designer: Masa Cesic 
Lighting Designer: Regina "Reg" Harris

Asst. Lighting Designers: Bradley Perry, Isabella Castro De Azevedo
Sound Designer: Matt Reich

Wig/Makeup Coordinator/Technician: Jackie Acosta

Asst. Wig/Makeup Coordinator/Technician: Maura Monaghan
Fight/Intimacy Director: Cristin Carole

Dramaturg: Juniper Viernes
Stage Manager: Audrey Michael

Asst. Stage Managers: Olivia Baron, Jackson Hoolis
Photography: Justin Barbin 

Producing Organization: 

Wirtz Center for the
Performing Arts

Cast: 

J. Pierrepont Finch: Gabby Gutierrez

Rosemary Pilkington: Kennedy Naseem

Bud Frump: Jonah Mensch

Smitty: Marcus Dowd

J. B. Biggley: Ibrahim Khan

Hedy La Rue: Azalea Brown

Miss Jones: Mia Van De Mark

Mr. Bert Bratt: Celeste Shuman

Mr. Twimble/TV Announcer/Wally Womper: Yehuda Zilberstein

Mr. Milton Gatch/Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington:: Alec Westland-Hurwitz

Voice of the Book: Richard Kind

Ensemble: Elebetel H Negusse, Helena Ayas, Noah Cooper, Ien Ruark, Rose Bicas-Dolgen, Lily Ramras, Sophie Simon, Mary Kate Tanselle, Lily Ramras

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