HOW TO SUCCEED... Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:00am

Daniel Radcliffe makes his anticipated return to the Great White Way, climbing the ladder from window washer to corporate wunderkind in the 50th anniversary production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which officially opens tonight, Sunday, March 27, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Rob Ashford directs and choreographs the revival, which began previews February 26.

Radcliffe, who is most recognized from the "Harry Potter" franchise, is making his Broadway musical debut as J. Pierrepont Finch, having last been seen on Broadway in Equus. This celebrated tuner, having won the Tony and Pulitzer Prize, features a score by Frank Loesser with a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert.

The cast also features John Larroquette as World Wide Wicket Company president J.B. Biggley, Tammy Blanchard as office bombshell Hedy La Rue, Christopher J. Hanke as Bud Frump, Rose Hemingway in her Broadway debut as Rosemary Pilkington, Rob Bartlett as Twimble/Wally Womper, Mary Faber as Smitty, Ellen Harvey as Miss Jones and Michael Park as Bert Bratt. While CNN's own Anderson Cooper is the voice of the narrator to the trusty "How to Succeed" guidebook.

The How to Succeed ensemble features Cameron Adams, Cleve Asbury, Tanya Birl, Kevin Covert, Paige Faure, David Hull, Justin Keyes, Marty Lawson, Erica Mansfield, Barrett Martin, Nick Mayo, Sarah O'Gleby, Stephanie Rothenberg, Megan Sikora, Michaeljon Slinger, Joey Sorge, Matt Wall, Ryan Watkinson, Charlie Williams and Samantha Zack.

My best to all involved!

- M

Updated On: 3/27/11 at 02:00 AM

[musicalman2]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:14pm

NY1 is a rave!

[tkts]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:34pm

LA Times put it up then took it down.....but Google caches all!




Mixed Review from LA Times

[tkts]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:18pm

Toronto Star is a rave.
Toronto Star Rave

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:03pm

Toronto can't even get the name of the show right:

"How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying"

oy

[broadwayman17]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:25pm

EW A-: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20364394_20476838,00.html

"You don't need a self-help book to figure out how to revive Frank Loesser's dated but worthy 1961 musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. All you really need is Daniel Radcliffe, the 21-year-old coiled spring of energy who manages to embody the ethos of corporate-ladder-climbing opportunist J. Pierpont Finch with a winning combination of youth, talent, and sheer willpower."

[tkts]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:26pm

USA Today a rave!
USA Today Rave

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:43pm

What a nice thing to say: In fact, 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.

Very happy for the cast -- here's hoping I agree with them next month!

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:51pm

Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/how-succeed-business-trying-theater-171770

"While he doesn't quite pop as a musical-theater performer, the "Harry Potter" star does a capable job of singing and dancing in the revival..."

[hubee]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 7:14pm

Theatremania is a mostly rave?

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/reviews/03-2011/how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying_35320.html

[tkts]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 7:42pm

Washington Post a pan.

"Is there no charm that can save him? “Experto Musicalis!” maybe? Because as winningly game and diligent as he shows himself to be in the new, terminally un-magical revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” he’s out of his league, singing and dancing his way through the role of brazen corporate impostor J. Pierrepont Finch."
WaPo Pan

[tkts]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:17pm

Chicago Trib mixed to positive.
Trib review

[hubee]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 9:07pm

AMNY 4 stars!

http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/four-stars-for-how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying-1.2785771

[Sauja]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 9:14pm

I'm sorry, but considering what the AMNY review actually says, how did they justify four stars?

"There are many funnier actors with stronger voices that probably would have been better suited to the role. Nevertheless, Radcliffe gives a pretty satisfying performance, showing off earnest acting skills, a passable singing voice and some surprisingly confident dance moves."

There's a huge difference between "pretty satisfying" and "excellent" as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I would have described the entire production as unsatisying, so I'm probabky being more critial of the review, but still.

Posted: 3/27/11 at 9:16pm

I'd call that Tribune review a rave- when you talk about the audience members jumping out of their box in excitement, the "Pirate number is still troublesome" sort of fades into the background.

[CarmenDeBris]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:08pm

Times Review!!!

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/theater/reviews/how-to-succeed-in-business-with-daniel-radcliffe-review.html?ref=theater

[binau]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:11pm

Ouch..

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:11pm

The Time is MIXED-NEGATIVE, with a rather interesting take on Daniel Radcliffe...

"Got a minute to listen to a pitch for a new reality-television series? It’s a guaranteed winner. You know “Dancing With the Stars”? Well, imagine taking it one step further.Instead of teaching some unlikely, nondancing celebrities to do the cha-cha, you train them to star in a big Broadway musical, with fancy sets and chorus lines. It could be called “Singing, Dancing and Acting With the Stars — on Broadway (With Fancy Sets and Chorus Lines).”

O.K., maybe the title needs work. But if you want to see a prototype for an entry in this series, take a look at the new production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” which opened on Sunday night at the Al Hirschfeld Theater. Its leading man is Daniel Radcliffe, the little wizard that could from the Harry Potter movies; and while Mr. Radcliffe is clearly not to the musical manner born, I would give him, oh, a 6 out of 10.

There’s little doubt that audiences will feel like rooting for Mr. Radcliffe in Rob Ashford’s charm-free revival of Frank Loesser’s 1961 musical about corporate ladder climbing. 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.

You can almost hear an unseen coach’s voice whispering to Mr. Radcliffe, telling him when to do what. And because you so feel the effort and eagerness with which Mr. Radcliffe responds to that voice, you truly want him to succeed, just as you hope a favorite athlete or hip-hop artist will avoid elimination on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Here

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:16pm

I'm not sure what performance Brantley saw but he totally missed the mark, in my opinion. I agree with a lot of what he said about the production, but I couldn't disagree more about Radcliffe.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:22pm

I agree 100%. The production itself has a lot of problems, and a lot of it is casting, but Radcliffe is perfectly cast and does a fantastic job.

He'll still get a Tony nomination.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:31pm

YIKES. That is not a good review. I was at opening night. The audience went wild, as expected. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[supersam1026]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:32pm

Saw it last night, and am shocked to say it, but, I completely agree with everything Brantly said about Radcliffe and the production

[fflagg]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:36pm

It's better than MORMON.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:38pm

The Time is MIXED-NEGATIVE

I musta missed the "MIXED" part.

[tkts]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:39pm

Wow, I never disagree with Brantley this much. Did we see the same show???