KELLY COLEMAN

Riverside Theatre’s 2013-2014 Season is coming to a close.  Taking the main stage for the final 40^th Anniversary season production, theatre supporters can expect another memorable experience with Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

Earning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1962, How To Succeed is a musical satire of 1960’s era big business. J. Pierrepont Finch, played by Drama Desk Nominee Jeremy Morse, is on an adventure rising to the top of the corporate ladder from a lowly window washer with the help of his little handbook. Full of hits like “I Believe In You”, “Been a Long Day” and “Brotherhood of Man”, How To Succeed was created from the book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Making his Riverside debut as the lead character Finch, Jeremy is in a role he has aspired to take on in his young career.  Starting in theatre at a young age, he has always loved to sing. His experience at Upper Darby Summer Stage near his home in Havertown, Pennsylvania laid the foundation for his acting talent and passion to sing at an early age.  A graduate of NYU with a degree in Vocal Performance Musical Theatre, Jeremy has been the featured actor in productions at Lincoln Center, York Theatre Company and North Carolina Theatre along with other regional theatres around the country. Morse shares, “I have met some of the most wonderful people and have had the most thrilling experiences – the highs are amazing….being on stage and performing is amazing.”  Also loving his role in Bloodsong of Love as the evil villain Lo Cocodrilo, Jeremy earned his Drama Desk Award nomination for Featured Actor in a role he was described by media to have developed and played to perfection, a role that he feels was a key factor in propelling his career forward.

Having met and worked with How To Succeed producer, Casey Hushion previously in his role as Barnaby in Hello Dolly at North Carolina Theatre, Jeremy enjoys working with Casey and he is looking forward to what he knows will be an outstanding production – a play and a producer that he intends to have fun with.  “This is a co-production with The Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, so we start here and then we go to Pennsylvania – same role, same cast.  We rehearse in one place verses two.”  Jeremy is also excited about the Vero Beach audience stating that, “I love seeing how the show grows with an audience because an audience is its own player within a show.  Once you get an audience, everything changes because you get a sense of timing.”

With the lead role of Finch being something that Jeremy has been looking forward to for awhile, he is coming in prepared to make it his own.  After seeing the casting notice for the show online, Jeremy was called for an audition.  But being unable to audition initially due to travel, Jeremy decided to write to Director Hushion to relay how much he wanted to be considered for the role. Jeremy was in luck as he was invited to attend the next round of auditions in New York City in December.  Jeremy shares, “For me, it was one of those auditions that I ended up caring a lot about because this job is a dream role for me.  The callback was Saturday morning and I got a call on Monday from my manager telling me I got the job…but that was a looooong 48 hours of waiting! I have wanted to play the role of Finch for years.  I did the musical 12 years ago at Upper Darby Summer Stage when I played the character of Toynbee in the ensemble.  The music that Finch gets to sing is amazing.  I have never played a lead of this proportion.”

To prepare for the lead role, Jeremy started by reading the script several times in different contexts – focusing first on his character, what he says, who he interacts with, and tried to get a sense of who this person Finch is. The next time through the script, the focus was on the whole story, the big picture and how his character fits into the plot; then it was research time!  After reading the original book by Shepherd Mead he also listened to the soundtrack of the show and next he steps into the rehearsal process which includes the director and choreographer.  “The idea I have of who Finch is on day one of rehearsal will probably have evolved a great deal by the time we open the show, and then even more by the end of the run,” says Jeremy. Vero Beach theatre goers are undoubtedly in for another theatrical treat as one of the theatre world’s rising young stars takes the Stark stage April 8 – 27th in this ‘delightfully irreverent musical.’

Jeremy predicts that Vero Beach will love this show.  With delightful music and scenes and a perky pace, How to Succeed is a great show with a lot of heart. “This is a big show with a lot of company numbers and the show moves very quickly.  It’s one of the best shows out there, as a traditional musical. The set design looks great and we have an exciting cast as well.”

Tickets are $48-73.00 and may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or by going online to www.riversidetheatre.com.