Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Schmuckler and Mahler’s score really is a notable achievement. One song, “Ferry Ride,” beautifully sung by the very charming Morton, will really reach your heart, I think. Not unlike their peers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Mahler and Schmuckler not only can make songs bounce and climb, but there’s a sweetness to their work, an inherent understanding of the fears that lie in even the most ebullient expressions of love. And Rosen and Greenberg’s work is a great match for them."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Greenberg and choreographed by Amber Mak, the Paramount production turns the movie’s problems to its advantage by satirizing the clichés and blasting Brantley for his privileged cluelessness. The writers have also set it in contemporary times so the landscape is mercifully free of shoulder pads. The script uses the bones of the film: Brantley (Billy Harrigan Tighe) gets a low-level job in the basement of Prescott Industries. After stealing the identity of a junior exec out on paternity leave, Brantley then finagles his way into the corporate board room and begins wooing Christy (Sydney Morton)."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...For the musical version of "The Secret of my Success," the creators smartly update the show to today and raise the dramatic stakes. The characters are likably refurbished with more complexity and honor in light of the #MeToo era -- a credit to book writers Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen and songwriters Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler."
Chicago Reader - Not Recommended
"...A larger problem though is that the show's story and message—the vanity of success, the importance of integrity and love—is too intimate for the big stage, and gets lost in all the singing and dancing and general Broadway glitz. Heidi Kettenring and Sydney Morton, as the two major female characters in the show, do a great job bringing heart and fire to the show. But Billy Harrigan Tighe brings no heat to his portrayal of the lead; again and again we found ourselves yearning for Michael J. Fox's sly Alex Keatonish charm."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...The Secret of My Success brings engaging songs like "I Got This," HiddenValue, I Think I Like You and A Ferry Ride and a refreshing and revitalizing look at an enjoyable story from the past."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Paramount Theatre, the wonderful venue that has created a whole new feel to downtown Aurora, now has on its stage “The Secret of My Success a New Musical” and it is AMAZING! Under the leadership of The Paramount ( Tim Rater and Jim Corti) and their New Works Initiative, they have developed a new look ( updating the story) and a powerful score. The new book is by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen and the music & lyrics are by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler. I do not want to forget to mention Universal Theatrical Group as they are responsible for bringing this powerful story filled with great musical numbers to the stage."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Paramount has a wonderful, original hit on its hands. The show’s staged within the colorful scenic design created by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, with mobile projections by Mike Tutaj, dazzling lighting by Greg Hofmann and gorgeous costumes, hair and wigs by Mara Blumenfeld and Katie Cordts, respectively. With a few more cuts to shorten the two-and-a-half hour running time, this musical could easily be Broadway’s next big thing. Certainly, the show is reminiscent of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” the Abe Burrows/Frank Loesser 1961 hit musical about rising to the top of big business. But this smart, sassy, contemporary musical rewrite of the hit 1987 film, that starred Michael J. Fox, is fresh, fun and just simply fantastic. It’s a must-see for audiences looking for a brand-new musical comedy that’s full of great music, endearing, humorous characters and plenty of heart, enough to warm us during the waning days of winter."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...“The Secret of My Success” show isn’t the first musical that has found an audience in spite of insurmountable difficulties with a weak book. The musical may or may not have a future beyond its premiere production but many local viewers won’t care. The strong approval registered by the audience on opening night strongly indicates that there is enough entertainment value on offer to keep Paramount audiences applauding and sometimes cheering through the end of March."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Recommended
"...With some relatively stock characters and a rather dated plot, this could well be just another ho-hum ’80s movie-made-musical. In fact, while some changes have been made to update, in its next iteration book writers Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen would do well to further bring this story even further into the 21st century. But with powerful anthems and tender ballads by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler (music and lyrics) there’s success here enough."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...The memory of Brantley’s father ultimately serves him well when he teaches Christy’s son Ernie Lockhart (Kai Edgar) a thing or two in “Tie Your Shoes,” a beautiful little song, and one of many in the rich, tuneful score by Mahler and Schmuckler, which also includes Morton’s “Get It Done,” and Tighe’s “Hidden Value,” “Pull It Off” and “That’s Business.” Kettenring’s rousing “You Can Have It All,” the first-act closer “Success!” and Ruiz’s “You’re a D-Bag, Brantley Foster” are all crowd-pleasers. We will talk about standout performances in the Morton/Kettenring duet “(I Think I) Like You,” and Morton and Tighe in “A Ferry Ride,” all framed in lush scenes of New York’s Times Square—replete with digital ticker crawlers and state-of-the-art projections, on the bow of the Staten Island ferry, in the garden of the posh Prescott home in Connecticut and at imaginative points in-between."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The production values as a whole are high end. Amber Mak’s brilliant choreography and Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s lavish set design are put to good use by director Gordon Greenberg. Being a Paramount production, everything on stage is elevated nicely by a rousing twelve-piece orchestra. As it is right now, “The Secret of My Success” is a well-crafted and highly entertaining musical well worth the trip to Aurora and likely to be seen in other regions in the future."
