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Theatre students all business

Salmon Arm Secondary musical theatre’s production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying has ups and downs
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SAS Theatre: Aiden Sparks

Up and down the corporate ladder they go in Salmon Arm Secondary musical theatre’s production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

This Tony award-winning Broadway musical follows the journey of an ambitious window washer, who climbs the corporate ladder using cunning, deception and trickery.

Along the way he encounters betrayed trust, jealousy, setbacks and, of course, romance – ooh, la, la.

“The kids are enjoying it because it’s full of status shifts where people in positions of low power rise, and people in high positions fall,” says teacher Cathy Hay, who will retire at the end of the current semester. “I wanted to do a comedy again, and I knew I had a strong boy lead singer in Reid Gomme.”

Her students didn’t get fired up over her choice until they heard Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame)had done the show on Broadway.

Hay says the writing is so good, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying won  a Pulitzer for drama in 1962.

She is just as enthusiastic about her job as she is about the play.

“It’s been fabulous for me, it’s been the perfect job,” she says.  “The great kids, great support team, all the music directors, choreographers, the whole team has been great.”

Hay is grateful school administration let her explore many avenues and is very proud of the dance team she created.

“This high school has singing, acting and dancing all supporting musical theatre productions,” she says with enthusiasm. “It’s been a fun ride.”

Hay is busy putting together two productions that will run in the new year, prior to her departure at the end of February.

Meanwhile, helping Hay out with the musical end of things, David Izik-Dzurko says the play’s music is challenging and very high-energy.

“We have a lot of great ensemble numbers that all the kids can participate in,” he says of the cast of 34. “We put together a pit band of students who have volunteered to do this – bass, drums, piano, trumpet and flute.”

Lead roles include Reid Gomme, Ami Owens, Mikayla May, Nick Di Castri and Aiden Spark — and retired Okanagan College professor Les Ellenor will narrate.

The show opens Tuesday, Dec. 11 in the SAS Theatre and runs nightly at 7:30 to Saturday, Dec. 15 when there is also a 1 p.m. matinee.

Tickets at $10 are on sale at Acorn Music.