Nick Jonas to replace Darren Criss in How to Succeed — Page 2

"It's a fairly lightweight role, he's an amiable enough singer, and I think he has enough presence to pull the role off."

Desperately wrong. This is not Link or Marius, this is a role that has twice won actors Tonys on Broadway in a Pulitzer Prize winning musical. Finch CARRIES the entire show. There's a million things you can do to this role to captivate audiences. To be successful in this role, you pretty much have to think on your toes. As much maligned as it is here and on ATC, the '95 revival with Broderick was one of the most entertaining evenings I've ever spent in a Broadway show. Matthew Broderick had the audience eating out of his hand. Finch is not a vanilla character, he's multi-layered, nuanced, coquettish, quirky, sly and witty, almost Chaplin-esque anti-hero. Or is he a hero? Well, that's for the audience to decide. A successful Finch should fool the audience into rooting for him. I would never use any of those words to describe Nick Jonas.

Is Nick Jonas even FUNNY? Sure, he can sing, but Finch should be played by an actor who sings, not a singer who acts. It's like throwing a big name in Funny Girl...the actor playing Fanny should be a comedian, not just a B'way belter. Nobody can direct an actor to be funny. They either are or they ain't. Nick Jonas ain't.

This is why I hate Broadway anymore. Everything needs a star, whether or not the material needs it.

Am I the only one pleased with this casting? I think it's a very interesting and good choice.

Nick is clearly trying to break his Disney name and go back to his musical theatre roots, why not give him a chance?

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This is why I hate Broadway anymore. Everything needs a star, whether or not the material needs it.

You hate Broadway anymore? Who let you out of high school? I hate to be the grammar police but oh boy..

As much as I like How to Succeed I think it's a show that won't draw the crowds on name alone. Your average tourist probably isn't familiar with the movie. I think it does need a "star". The last revival had one. Yes, Broderick does have Broadway ties he was also recognizable to the tourists thanks to his film work. And when he left the show he was replaced by John Stamos. A recognizable name.

And there are shows doing very well without with a "star". Book of Mormon doesn't have a "star". Yes you could argue that the creative team are the "names" but it's doing well without a "star". Anything Goes doesn't have a "star". Yes, Sutton Foster is a star in the Broadway community I don't think the average tourist really knows who she is.

And what's the worst that can happen? A whole new group of people gets introduced to a great show.

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Updated On: 9/7/11 at 06:19 PM

Who wants to see Paris Hilton in the Apple Tree? I don't know.. A lot of people!

PattiLover's use of "anymore" there is entirely correct.

His description of Finch as "Chaplin-esque," however, is a little baffling.

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A "I don't like Broadway anymore", "I hate Broadway these days" or "I hate Broadway now" would be more correct. "I hate Broadway anymore" simply sounds oafish and wrong. The meaning is understood but the usage is not desirable.

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Updated On: 9/7/11 at 07:19 PM

Yeah, but no.

It means "any longer" or "to any further extent."

You couldn't say, "I hate Broadway any longer!" or "I hate Broadway to any further extent!"

Doesn't work.

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Let's just hope this coincides with filming of the movie version of Les Miserables so we can all be spared the laughing fit that accompanies Jonas singing Empty Chairs @ Empty Tables.

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I'm using the Unabridged...

https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com

...which I believe requires a subscription.

So, if you have not a subscription, you can either believe or not believe that I copied and pasted it directly from the webpage... but I did because I am not a liar

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It's not even MY money! I can't ask for that back! "Excuse me -- may I please have not my money back?" Talk about bad grammar.

At any rate, it's my primary, your secondary, you say "tomato," I say "anymore."

It's still correct. It's not something for which one must demand the grammar police, not even close.

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" That's all's I'm saying."

What??? oh boy.

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I just saw this news and I was hoping it was a big old hoax. But it's not April 1. And all the news outlets seem to be saying the same thing.

Epic casting fail.