'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying': Radcliffe moves past Harry Potter, tries to make Broadway theater magic

Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the Broadway revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” has traded in his Hogwarts robes for a bow tie, presumably to demonstrate that he has moved on to adult roles. However, Radcliffe, known for playing the world’s most famous boy wizard, still comes across as just a boy. He puts forth a valiant effort and rather convincing American accent, but the show at times reads like a strange—albeit surprisingly amusing—version of Take Your Kid to Work Day.

“How to Succeed,” which opened March 27, follows ambitious window washer J. Pierrepont Finch (Radcliffe) as he works his way to the top of the World Wide Wicket Company and wins over its president, J. B. Biggley (John Larroquette). Finch is supposed to be young and eager, but Radcliffe’s attempt at boyish over-zealousness often comes across as too cartoon-y. Grinning from behind a slightly oversized desk, he looks like a ten-year-old playing dress up in his first suit. To make matters worse, every time the five-foot-five Radcliffe stands beside the six-foot-four Larroquette, he looks comically tiny.

Still, Radcliffe’s stature is not his fault, and he tries to compensate for his childlike appearance by mining it for laughs. Each time Finch charms another coworker or supervisor, the stage lights dim momentarily, and a spotlight, shining directly on Radcliffe’s face, lets him shoot the audience a knowing glance and an impish smile. While audience members might never suspend their disbelief and forget that they’re watching Harry Potter somersault in a three-piece suit, Radcliffe does his part to win them over. He sings startlingly well and dances passably, and his in-jokes with the audience are some of the best moments of the show.

As Bud Frump, Finch’s nemesis in the company mail room, Christopher J. Hanke tries his best to play stupid and awkward. But no pair of thick glasses or nasal intonation is enough to hide his leading-man voice and prep-school good looks. He’s supposed to be the villain of the show, but he’s just too cute to hate.

Indeed, cuteness seems to be the goal of the production in general. It’s so self-consciously dated—one song is called “A Secretary is Not a Toy,”and the mail room prominently displays clocks for Ceylon and Peking—that the actors have no choice but to present the script as if it’s one long joke. While the original 1961 production of “How to Succeed” won a Pulitzer Prize for drama, this revival strives to be nothing more than frothy, lighthearted fare. The songs are entertaining but forgettable, and the costumes look like someone raided a vintage store and then dipped everything in Easter egg dye. All in all, the general vibe is best described as “Mad Men”-meets-kindergarten.

While the show can feel heavy-handed and just plain goofy, it’s arguably worth the ticket price just to see Radcliffe in the flesh. He’s clearly having fun on stage, and although “How to Succeed” may seem like child’s play compared to more serious Broadway fare, one might as well play along.