It’s not too difficult to poke holes in its dated satire, and some of its numbers have not aged well, but “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” makes good on its title and succeeds somewhat in spite of itself, thanks to an eager and assured staging from University Theatre.

The Tony Award-winning 1961 workplace musical features music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, who was responsible for another Broadway hit, “Guys and Dolls.”

“How to Succeed” is cut from a similar cloth — it’s genial, but kind of toothless. The show makes some amusing observations on the politics of the workplace and the rampant sexism therein, but when the main female character pines for nothing but housewifery as soon as she meets an eligible man (it’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but it’s telling that the female lead is the one saddled with the shallowest character), the satire kind of loses some of its potency.

Still, some of OU’s strongest musical theater personnel — and a rising star or two — get everything they can out of the production.

The show’s biggest achiever has to be one behind the scenes though, as scenic design senior Uldarico Sarmiento hits a home run with his impressive scenery that captures the imposing and impersonal nature of the workplace. Massive shifting panels take advantage of the size of the Rupel Jones Theatre stage to create a daunting atmosphere, while weirdly angular doors built into the panels sustain the show’s whimsical and ironic tone.

On stage, musical theater junior Skyler Adams stars as J. Pierepont Finch, a fresh-faced kid armed with a bright outlook and a manual with the secrets to business success. He quickly procures himself a job at the World Wide Wicket company, where he meets the instantly infatuated Rosemary Pilkington (musical theater senior Lindsay Schwak), a secretary who’s looking to trade that profession in for homemaker. She confides in fellow secretary Smitty (musical theater sophomore Kate Dinsmore).

Despite the attempts of sycophantic Bud Frump (musical theater senior Ryan Koss) to derail his career, Finch gets on the fast track to executive status, easily making friends with the big boss J.B Biggley (musical theater junior Ryan Wood), who’s more interested in paramour Hedy La Rue (musical theater senior Kasey Walker), as are the rest of the men in the office.

Adams is perfectly cast as the blank slate wonder boy who comes with good intentions but gets a taste of power and likes it. Schwak, who has one of the purest voices I’ve heard in the OU program, is superb in the fairly thankless role of Rosemary. The show gets a lot of mileage out of excellent physical comedy from Koss, who is hilariously slimy, and Wood, who overcomes the cliché nature of the bumbling boss schtick.

OU’s musical actor to watch has to be Dinsmore, who is supremely confident in her sassy role as Smitty. Unfortunately, her character slides into the background in the second act, but I don’t doubt her magnetic presence will be used plenty in upcoming productions.

The varied and vast costume repertoire must have necessitated outsourcing, as the costumes are on loan from a Florida-based costume outfit. The production gets its money’s worth; they’re fantastic.

At its best, “How to Succeed” is a gently entertaining comic romp, with songs that occasionally tip over into musical theater greatness (“Coffee Break,” “Been a Long Day,” “Brotherhood of Man”). The book and the score occasionally feel a little dusty, but the cast and crew ensure the show is often at its best.