Jacob Samples, Georgia Smith, and Jessica Lenz Photo courtesy of Palm Canyon Theatre

Based on the 1952 book by Shephard Mead, a plotless, satirical "instruction manual" for aspiring executives, the plot-filled musical, with a book by Abe Borrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, follows J. Pierrepont Finch in his aspiration to move from window washer to something better. Given his manipulative moves, heavy reliance on opportunism, and frequent embrace of partial, or what he might call alternative facts, Finch would seem no one to emulate. Like a modern politician in a swing state, he wheedles, prevaricates, and manages to stay one chess move ahead of any obstacle. Jacob Samples, recently at PCT as Nicely-Nicely in Guys and Dolls, manages to diffuse those less than admirable character traits with a boyish, wide-eyed Will Ferrell smile, quickly belied by a knowing "See what I did there?" wink. It makes him an easily underestimated adversary for the other corporate ladder-climbers.

It also makes him a misleadingly promising romantic interest for Rosemary Pilkington, one of the many secretaries at World Wide Wickets hanging on to a nowhere office job until they can graduate to somewhere that's green, ideally in New Rochelle. Played by Georgia Smith with a saucy, spunky earnestness, Rosemary is quickly all-in on Finch as her ticket to the suburbs.

A quick character study, Finch quickly assesses and preys on the vulnerabilities of Mr. Bratt in personnel (the wonderfully snarky Eric Stein-Steel), Mr. Twimble in the mailroom (Chad Gneiting), Mr. Gatch in plans and systems (Darin MacLeod), and even the harried WWW president J.B. Biggley (festooned with great bluster and fluster by Donald Kelley). His most slippery opponent is Bud Frump (Raul Valenzuela), the insecure nepo-baby plotting to upstage Finch at every turn. If you are a fan of the manic, over-the-top performance style of Wayne Knight (Newman on "Seinfeld"), you may enjoy Valenzuela in the role.

Rosemary's sisterhood of other secretaries, whom we are reminded are not toys, include Miss Jones (a nicely arch Michele Davis), Miss Smith aka Smitty (with Jessica Lenz channeling some Kristin Chenoweth realness), and the newly hired Hedy La Rue (given the full Peg Bundy va-voom treatment by Dani Jara Lesaca).

The vibe is "Mad Men"-lite with a downbeat, and set designer J.W. Layne achieves a nice mid-century feel on a minimalist set enhanced by a series of excellent scene-setting projections. The cast is handsomely attired in haute Revivals-grade vintage styles by Derik Shopinski, and the women are coiffed in splendid Hairspray-aspiring teases. (The wig cascade for Hedy La Rue alone would make a drag queen drool.) The only looks not welcoming these '60s dolls are a handful of guys in bad toupees that did not come in (and, thankfully, quickly go out) for another decade.

Another place where this Business succeeds is in the ensemble production numbers, with a lot of intricate but smooth moves in "Coffee Break," "A Secretary Is Not a Toy," and "I Believe in You," which includes some very funny only-in-the-men's-room moves courtesy of choreographer Nathan Wilson.

The score by Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls, The Most Happy Fella) never yielded many take-home tunes, but musical director Chuck Peery ably guides the cast to the best notes, particularly in some outstanding ensemble singing and plays some smooth synth underscoring in the process. Tops are the sweetly affirming "I Believe in You" and the rousing "Brotherhood of Man," well-delivered here with outstanding vocals by Samples and the male ensemble. Smith, who makes the most of the workaday ballad "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm," really kicks it up with the secretarial pool on the catchy "Paris Original," every woman's fashion nightmare set to music. She and Samples join forces on the comically rapturous "Rosemary," where Finch finally gets that romance and ambition are not mutually exclusive agendas, and Kelley and Lesaca, who are ahead of that curve, let the president and his inamorata get to kiss-and-make-up cute in "Love from a Heart of Gold."

Directors bring it all together, and Se Layne seems to have adopted a '60s sitcom tone for this production that is suitable for the subject and setting. While some individual line readings among the supporting players are a bit flat or forced, the overall production benefits from a pair of charismatic leads, great visuals, and sparkling ensemble work.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying runs through September 22, 2024, at Palm Canyon Theatre, 538 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA. Performances are Thursday at 7:00 pm, Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm, and Sunday at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $20-$41. For tickets and information, please visit palmcanyontheatre.net or call 760-323-5123.

Cast: Neil Badham (Johnson), Alan Berry (Tackaberry), Michele Davis (Miss Jones), Jackson Enzler (Ovington), Chad Gneiting (Mr. Twimble), Adam Hieter (Wally Womper), Terry Huber (Peterson), Dani Jara Lesaca (Hedy La Rue), Donald Kelley (J.B. Biggley), Darin MacLeod (Gatch), Jessica Lenz (Smitty), Colette Owens (Miss Krumholtz), Ben Reece (Jenkins), Jacob Samples (J. Pierrepont Finch), Dave Sanchez (Matthews), Georgia Smith (Rosemary Pilkington), Eric Stein-Steele (Bratt), Ralph Strangis (Book Voice), Raul Valenzuela (Bud Frump). ENSEMBLE: Lois Bondurich, Josie Davis, Taylor Graham, Jackie Padgett, Denise Rooney, Fiona Sarchett, Joyanne Tracy, Alicia Wilson, Sanai Wright.