Written by Gordon Greenberg
How do you define ‘success’? What is the magical combination of material wealth, spirituality, creativity, romance, family (and more) that will fulfill us? Those are the questions at the heart of our story. When Brantley Foster sets off from the Midwest in search of his fortune, determined to surpass his parents, he digs into the cut-throat world of New York business and, in his attempts to ‘succeed,’ sinks to the bottom of the moral well. Faced with the prospect of losing the people he loves most, he ultimately reframes his objectives and thus redefines ‘success.’ And he does it by walking a tight rope between two personalities in a farce of epic proportions.
Inspired by the 1987 film, this musical asks that same simple question of all the principal characters. Each is chasing an idea of success that is no longer necessarily right for them. That was the core idea that propelled us as we developed the show. We had all found ourselves at one time or another suddenly realizing that we were pursuing the wrong goal, following old narratives – and had what Oprah calls ‘aha moments.’ A light bulb goes off, and your life is thrown into perspective. You’ve heard the expression ‘Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.’ That is our story in a nutshell: a reminder that the dreams that govern our choices as young people will mature and evolve with us over time. And happiness at 21 looks quite a bit different than it does at 40, 60, 80.
With this show, we celebrate the opportunity to reassess, rethink and restart from time to time. And what a joy it is to be creating it here in Aurora at the fantastic Paramount Theatre, under the auspices of Universal Stage Productions (led by Naperville native Chris Herzberger)! On behalf of the cast, crew, creative and production teams, we invite you to open your hearts to a world of high hopes, high spirits, hijinks, and above all, second chances. Enjoy!
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