Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
Succeeding in business, it seems, is the easy part. Succeeding The Boy Who Lived might be a little trickier — but “Glee” star Darren Criss is up for the challenge.
It’s official: For three weeks this January, Darren Criss will take on the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in the Broadway production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, a role currently played by Harry Potter‘s Daniel Radcliffe. After much speculation in recent weeks, the Al Hirschfeld Theatre confirmed in a release today that Criss will make his Broadway debut on Jan. 3, after Radcliffe’s run is over, and will continue his Broadway stint through Jan. 22.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Criss riffing on a role made famous by Radcliffe — the 24-year-old crooner best known for his role as Kurt’s dreamy boyfriend Blaine on Glee is the founder of StarKid productions, where he wrote and starred in the cult-hit YouTube serials “A Very Potter Musical” and “A Very Potter Sequel.”
PopWatchers, weigh in: Is Darren Criss aiming to become America’s chief Daniel Radcliffe impersonator? And will How To Succeed In Business continue its blockbuster run on Broadway, or will the magic leave with Harry?
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SO EXCITED! He’s going to be “totally awesome!”
correction: he is going to be “cool and totally awesome”
One thing I learned many years ago was that seiotmmes children misunderstand let us hope that he misunderstood .because otherwise what she is doing is absolutely wrong and counterproductive to community building ..investigation should start with the classroom teacher .
supermegafoxyawesomehot!!!
planning my trip to ny now
I think Darren Criss will be fantastic in this role all his own. I am sure a billion girls and their moms will line up to see this so I am sure it will be a success.
Hardly anyone knows who he is? You either know him from glee or the potter musicals.
So? Most people only know Dan Rad from Harry Potter. Doesn’t mean either of them are less awesome.
Dan is know Worldwide. Darren is not
samm, actually Darren is known worldwide as well. This little thing called Glee may be at fault for that.
Besides, this is Broadway we’re talking about… people don’t just line up for the stars, they line up for the plays. Yeah, I’m sure Radcliffe upped sales for them, but plenty of shows *ahem* succeed without a film star in the lead.
A billion girls and their moms? I’m a 28-year-old dude and I’ll proudly be there. =)
Thank you! I’m 25 and will not be attending with my mom. He is a very talented showmen. Whether it be at singing, song writing or acting. I am looking forward to seeing him in this role!
I’m 24 and will be going to NY for the first time ever to see him in this. With my mom.
AliciaJo, your mom just called and said she is taking me instead of you. Sorry.
I bought tickets the minute I read it and will take my 14 year old in January. She is thrilled by her early Christmas present.
Darren Criss needs to learn to make his own way in his chosen field and stop sailing in Radcliffe’s wake. It makes him look lazy and afraid to be his own man. Darren is talented, but Dan is both the braver and the better performer.
So Darren shouldn’t have accepted the offer to star in a hit broadway show for three weeks because Daniel Radcliffe is the person he is replacing? Thank goodness you’re not his manager.
i replayed when he said vairele like 4098523450723094 times.it just sounds so hot.oh lord. darren<3also i freaking love the song Valerie by The Zutons but i had noooo idea Amy Winehouse redid it!(ijustwishdarrenhadsangitttt)
Robin, it’s just a pure coincident. Your Darren bashing is ridiculous.
I doubt it’s a coincidence. Dan may have recommended him. Darren was at the UK premiere of HP, so maybe they met up.
Or perhaps it’s because Darren can sing, dance, and he’s American so he won’t require too much training.
Either way, the show won’t be the same without DanRad, but I wish Darren the best during his 3 week run.
Yes, because the role that has garnered him the most fame – Blaine on “Glee” – has soooo much to do with Daniel Radcliff.
Jerry, him getting a part on Glee had NOTHING to do with AVPM and AVPS. The producers and even the creator hadn’t heard about it till he was on the cast.
Sym – It’s called sarcasm.
I’m pretty sure that’s what he was trying to say.
Sooooo sure?
Jerry, you’re perfect.
Robin, I’m guessing you never watched A Very Potter Musical or it’s sequel. Darren is in NO WAY sailing in Daniel’s wake. Futhermore, while Dan had great energy, he really lacked vocally. I probably won’t see it again, but I’m eager for Criss to prove you wrong.
Darren is trained in Musical theatre. He writes his own musicals and is a very talented singer. I love Dan Rad, but to say that Darren is lazy for just “following” Dan is crazy. Darren will probably be better at the role because he’s more musically trained. And I for one and excited to see him.
As if the role was only about singing!I would like to know how he will deal with Grand Old Ivy and Brotherhood of men.
Well we will see right? He’ll start with learning the role after his movie is done filming and then come January we’ll have the answer. No need to bury the guy before he actually walks out on that stage.
Nobody know if he will be good or not.
Aaron Tveit is better singer than than Daniel and yet Daniel has way better reviews than him.
Dan’s reviews weren’t particularly great either, far from it. Some were polite about his efforts at best.
They weren’t great but they were good way better than the trained singer Tveit .And they weren’t polite about his effort.The NYT and WP post in particular gave their honest reviews and emphasize on the energy he put in his performance.That’s an abservation not being polite.
Give me a break. The musical How to Succeed in Business. . . existed long before either of these actors were even born. It’s from the 1960s. So Daniel Radcliffe is hardly a pioneer, here. And for my money, Darren Criss is a much better singer, you know, for a MUSICAL.
Amazing!! I’m going to see Daniel Radcliffe in this at the end of August.. but now REALLY want to see Darren Criss in it as well!
I’m sure he’ll be great in it
The Harry Potter thing is pretty ironic, yeah XP
Guys why are you humoring the very bitter haters. The boy has won himself Broadway while these idiots are bleating from behind their laptops..Darren is winning.
Oh Darren… always in the Teacup Human’s shadow.
That’s exciting
good for him
Darren Criss is the biggest talent to come out of “glee” and I for one think the show will improve tremendously with him in it! Daniel is great, but is vocally challeneged (trying to be nice). I can’t wait to see the role played by the fantastic triple threat that is Darren Criss!
I like Darren but he’s not the biggest talent to come out of Glee. Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Naya Rivera are the biggest talents by far.
LOL! Biggest talent? More like medicore talent. Don’t get me wrong, I like Darren and all, but he is way overhyped.
I think Darren Criss will be great at this. He is very talented.
Since Dan is leaving, who will be in the Role on January 23rd?
@Clark I was wondering the same thing.
Ugh, what happened to broadways standards?
Broadway’s standards? Darren Criss got a bachelor’s in theatre from the University of Michigan, one of the top rated musical theater schools in the country, ranking higher than NYU. Darren also wrote, starred in, and played guitar in A Very Potter Musical and the sequel, both of which are hilariously funny and extremely well done. Get your facts straight before you try to say he isn’t talented enough for Broadway.
You’ve GOT to be kidding me! While I adore Dan and he worked hard to get his vocals up to par, Darren can completely blow Dan out of the water vocally. As for acting, both are good at that. As Tori stated, Darren studied for this and is a complete natural. His performance so far have shown us this.
I think he will great. I do not think this is a case of impersonation. He has been unique on Glee and he is a musician. I do believe you have a few of your statements in this article about the play incorrect.
I think he is going to do a fabulous job but I have to admit I’m worried how he will have enough time to rehearse. DanRad spent ages preparing for the role. I hope Darren will have time around Glee filming and his own music to really be ready.
Now I only wish I could afford to make it to NY in Jan…