Emerson Colonial Theatre Official Blog

COLONIAL THEATRE HISTORY: Sixty years ago, the first national tour of #HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying made its final stop at the Colonial, playing from May 18 through June 27, 1964.

Based on a book of the same name, the musical tells the story of young, ambitious J. Pierrepont Finch, who, with the help of the book How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, rises from window washer to chairman of the board of the World Wide Wicket Company.

Did You Know? The original Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Photo 1: The cover of the Boston Playbill.

Photo 2: The company of the first national tour. Photo credit New York Public Library.

Photo 3: The production's key art.