Darren Criss to replace Daniel Radcliffe in HOW TO SUCCEED for 3 weeks?- Page 2

Posted: 7/22/11 at 3:46am

Wow had no idea Angela did that--THAT I would have paid a lot to see...

[D2]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 8:41am

Angela's 24 performance run was because the producers wanted a name to keep the show running while both Yul Brynner and Constance Towers were out on vacation. The production ran an additional 7 months after they returned.

Updated On: 7/22/11 at 08:41 AM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 10:36am

"Definitely not great enough to handle this score."

Wait...which score? Most Happy Fella? Cause the role of Finch in not particularly hard to sing. I mean...Robert Morse is brilliant...but dulcet tones hath not he.

[gcal]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 11:14am

From Playbill:


"Criss — who plays Blaine Anderson, the head of the prep-school glee group The Warblers on Fox's "Glee" — would play at least a three-week run as corporate climber J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed and return to his TV and film obligations. Producers are seeking a third permanent-replacement Finch to carry on in late winter and spring"

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 11:36am

Of all the GLEE-ers, Criss' voice sounds the most technofied and electronic, maybe that's what I find creepy. Carrying a Broadway Musical 8 times a week is very different than TV or Movies (as some critics told Radcliffe), just because someone wants to do it doesn't mean they can. Remember YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT? They picked the two actors that supposedly had the most talent and charisma; the Danny guy (Ithink his name was Max), turned out to be a flopperoo, and Laura Osnes turned out to be a real Musical Comedy star, you never know.

PS, Angela was wonderful in THE KING AND I.

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 11:49am

I agree with those who are put off by Darren Criss. He strikes me as a mini-Raul Esparza; completely smug in interviews, insincere, a climber who will seize any opportunity to indulge in shameless self-promotion and aggrandizement--wait, perhaps he's perfect for Finch...

[aliceripleysnumber1]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 1:32pm

"And his voice is not that great. Definitely not great enough to handle this score. Daniel can barely handle it himself."


You say this as if Radcliffe can sing better than Criss. Radcliffe sings the songs in tune...that's about all you can say about his singing ability. Criss can actually SING.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 2:12pm

I cannot believe this ended up being true. I'm very excited though.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 7:01pm

curtainpulldowner is right: Lansbury was wonderful in "The King and I". Unfortunately, the man who played the King (IBDB says "Michael Kermoyan") wasn't strong enough to provide a true foil to Lansbury's Anna.

By the same token, however, the show was staged so that Constance Towers was a relatively weak Anna when Brynner played the king.

In both cases, the show became a solo vehicle, which is not, I don't think, what the script really intends.

***

Back to Darren Criss. Love him on "Glee". Would love to see him in "How to Succeed".

[NeoNormal]

Posted: 7/22/11 at 10:07pm

I think he's okay, just okay. While in no way untalented, everyone knows he can sing, he just can't really act (or atleast in my opinion.) Too pop for How to Succeed, IMHO.

Oh well, whatever you can do to make money and sell a pretty face.

[snl89]

Posted: 7/23/11 at 2:36am

Yeah, just to comment on the whole vocal ability aspect of things:

Darren may not have the traditionally flawless, super well trained voice a lot of Broadway people do, but he can definitely legit sing, and I personally actually kind of like that his voice isn't quite so perfect :) It's got so much soul and texture to it imo

For anyone who's only ever heard him on Glee (where they really do autotune him to death, which I have no idea WHY because his 100% live voice is so much more lovely haha), he's what he actually sounds like totally live:
http://youtu.be/zmeMvRQnvyM
http://youtu.be/XFIWeCnCgJ8

I love Dan, and he IS probably the better actor of the two over all, but I find it hard to see how there's any denying that Darren has a stronger voice :) Or at least I personally enjoy it more

I mean I don't mind Dan's voice at all- it's perfectly fine- but Darren's makes me melt and I could listen to it all day :)

Updated On: 7/23/11 at 02:36 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/24/11 at 5:08pm

He's now being coy, "it would be cool, but nothing is confirmed"
Creepy. (It's probably about $)
I'm kinda joking of course, but I just think he's a one-trick-auto-tone-pony-of the moment right now and has done nothing to prove he can do this role, but if he gets the chance to prove me wrong, more power to him.