Radcliffe to head cast of Broadway musical
Daniel Radcliffe to head cast of Broadway musical
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By Sarah Garrod. |  |
Friday, 09, Oct 2009 08:55
By Lewis Bazley.
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is to make a move into musical theatre in an upcoming Broadway production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
The young actor, who made his Broadway debut in 2008 in the New York run of Equus, is attached to lead a December reading of the production, with a new version of the musical to follow, Variety reports.
Written by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, with songs by Frank Loesser, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying tells of the rise of an ambitious window cleaner who lives by the rules of a self-help manual as he attempts to ascend through the ranks of the World Wide Wickets Co.
Robert Morse took the lead role of J Pierrepont Finch in the original Broadway production, as well as the 1967 film adaptation, with the stage show winning seven Tony awards and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off star Matthew Broderick later claimed a Tony for his portrayal of Finch in a 1995 revival at the Rialto theatre, also starring Will and Grace's Megan Mullally.
While the new version is still in the early stages of development, with the upcoming reading a test drive for a potential full production, Rob Ashford is attached to direct and choreograph while Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will produce.
With filming currently underway on the final two films in the Harry Potter series, 20-year-old Radcliffe looks to be moving into a new stage of his career, with a starring role in the possible stage revival of How to Succeed... lined up as well as a testing dramatic performance in Bronwen Hughes' upcoming film The Journey is the Destination, the tale of English photojournalist Dan Eldon, who was killed aged only 22 when covering civil unrest in Somalia.