Can Daniel Radcliffe pull off a magic trick at the Tonys?
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
When Daniel Radcliffe starred in ‘Equus’ on Broadway several years ago, he failed to get nominated for a Tony Award. Now, based upon reviews of ‘How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying,’ it looks like he’ll probably nab one of the five acting slots for best musical actor.
Radcliffe faces tough competition from ‘Catch Me If You Can’ stars Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tveit, ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ stars Tony Sheldon and Will Swenson, ‘Book of Mormon’ stars Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, plus ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ star Benjamin Walker. Butz is the kind of thesp who tended to win the Tony in olden days: little-known theater veteran who is esteemed by his Broadway peers. Indeed, Butz won the award for best musical actor for ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ in 2005.
However, things are different now, boosting Radcliffe’s award hopes. Recently, the Tonys overhauled their voting process, ousting most theater critics from their electorate. That resulted in a slew of Hollywood stars triumphing last year, including Scarlett Johansson (‘A View from the Bridge’), Denzel Washington (‘Fences’) and Catherine Zeta-Jones (‘A Little Night Music’).
‘How to Succeed’ is one of eight musicals that won the Pulitzer Prize for theater. Its original 1962 Broadway production won seven Tonys, including best musical and best lead actor for Robert Morse. Matthew Broderick won best actor for reprising the role in 1995.
Below, what theater critics think of Radcliffe in the lead role:
VARIETY: ‘Dazzling … The young actor shines as J. Pierrepont Finch, the ambitious window-washer who rises from mailroom to executive suite. Radcliffe makes the role (which originally catapulted Robert Morse to fame) look easy, but it’s not.’
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Radicliffe ‘is an honest-to-goodness trouper. Gleaming with young-adult stardom, he summons all the gusto he can muster for the challenge of playing J. Pierrepont Finch, the window-washer who schemes his way to chairman of the board of the World Wide Wicket Company using a self-help manual …. In addition to his patented boyish charm, Radcliffe possesses deft comic instincts. Every time Finch turns to the spotlight with a conspiratorial acknowledgement that the plan for advancement is working to perfection, the audience roared in hysterics.’
USA TODAY: ‘Radcliffe ultimately succeeds not by overshadowing his fellow cast members, but by working in conscientious harmony with them and having a blast in the process.’
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: ‘It’s hard to unravel where Finch ends and Radcliffe begins, so thoroughly do the two seem to be entwined in this triumphant performance.’
NEW YORK TIMES: ‘While Mr. Radcliffe is clearly not to the musical manner born, I would give him, oh, a 6 out of 10 …. This 21-year-old British actor, who made a creditable Broadway debut as the psycho stable boy in “Equus” in 2008, conscientiously hits his choreographic marks, speaks his lines quickly and distinctly (with a convincing American accent) and often sings on key.’
NEW YORK POST: ‘Daniel Radcliffe is so adorable in his Broadway musical debut, you just want to pinch his cheeks. It’s not just his youth -- the ‘Harry Potter’ star is 21 -- but the endearing amount of dedication and enthusiasm he pours into steering the new revival of ‘How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’ Welcome to the wonderful world of musicals, Daniel. We hope you’ll stick with it.’
-- Tom O’Neil