RIVER VALLEY | FSLT Has Recipe For Success

FORT SMITH — Think “Mad Men,” the popular drama on the AMC network.

Then, imagine instead of an intense drama, it was a comedy where all the characters were over the top and charming, even the bad guys. Add some songs and dance routines, and the resulting show would look something like the musical “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” says Ray Coleman, who will direct the show for the Fort Smith Little Theater starting on Thursday.

“It’s a very bright music comedy,” Coleman say. “And it’s very funny. It’s a spoof of the business community in New York.”

“How to Succeed” debuted on Broadway in 1961. It was later made into a movie, was revived on Broadway in the mid-1990s and will reportedly see another Broadway revival in the future starring Daniel Radcliffe of “Harry Potter” fame in the lead role.

The production follows the adventures of Finch, anambitious window washer who has aspirations of taking over a company. His plan for corporate ascension comes from a book called “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” with “advice (that) seems custom-written for him,” Coleman says.

“Even our villains are lovable. It’s a great show that’s been forgotten and revived.”