I saw How to Succeed on Friday, June 17 at the Al Hirshfeld Theatre. I was lucky with phenomenal last-minute seats. Fourth row center orchestra isn’t too shabby. I don’t have a favorite place to sit in the theatre. Though it’s great seeing the whole “picture” from the mezzanine, I love sitting closely so I can examine the actors more closely. Watching the sweat drip of their face and their saliva come out of their mouths is the special aspect of theatre. You don’t see that in the movies (well… you know what I mean.)

How to Succeed is a musical based off of the business life in 1961. It’s like Mad Men with songs! The story is of a young man, Finch, and his embark on a journey of the business world. He works his way up from the mailroom to the head of the business. I love watching shows from the 60′s because it seems like so long ago, but we have a lot of the same problems today. Feminism is a big topic in the story. Though women have rights today, I think the topic of prejudice and discrimination are very fresh in today’s society.

Daniel Radcliffe is a very good Broadway actor. He’s a surprisingly strong dancer. However, his singing wasn’t very strong. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have the Broadway quality that many men had in the show. Should he have been nominated for a Tony? No, probably not. I think Aaron (Catch Me if you Can) is more deserving that Daniel. Was he good and did he handle his role well? Definitely, yes. He held his own and does have a special charisma that’s important for Broadway stars. He had that smile and those eyes. For being the phenomenon that he is, I think he did a surprisingly good job. I don’t think he was robbed of a Tony nomination, but he still did a fantastic job.

John Larroquette stole the show. He added so many different things to the role that I’ve never seen in that role. He’s such a hilarious character and when he was onstage, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. He also held his own in dancing. John did a fantastic job with his role. However, I can’t say whether or not he deserved his Tony. Don’t get me wrong – he was fabulous. The role just wasn’t a Tony-winning role. There were very strong competitors, but I haven’t seen all of the nominees, so I can’t say who deserved it. But I’m not very disappointed with the choice because he did a wonderfully fantabulous job.

Rose Hemingway made her Broadway debut in the role of Rosemary. She did fantastic. Her voice was so strong and clear. She also had great chemistry with Daniel and everyone onstage. Christopher J. Hanke played the role of Bud Frump. Bud is supposed to be the “bad guy” in the show – but I kind of wanted him to win. Which never happens. He was so hilarious and cute… I couldn’t help not to like him. I really hope to see more of Christopher – he’s a great actor. The rest of the company were absolutely spectacular. Such beautiful dancers – but equally good singers.

The set and costumes of How to Succeed were fabulous. Such a glamorous mid-century-modern look. It made me feel like I was going through a time machine – which I think should be the mission of most revivals. I love when shows have a “signature” something. I still remember the bright turquoise bow-tie that Daniel Radcliffe wore throughout the show very clearly. They were selling them with the other items! Set and costumes are very important for revivals. They must stay devoted to the time period, but seem new and fresh. How to Succeed did a great job keeping all of those things in mind.

Overall, How to Succeed was a great production. The songs and book are timeless. The actors were very strong and although it was obvious Daniel wasn’t a trained singer – his charm helped him through. I can’t say whether or not it should’ve won Best Revival. I didn’t have the opportunity to see Anything Goes, so I can’t be so sure. If you have a spare night, like I did, this is a great show. If you came down here to only see one show.. it may not be the best option. If you’re a Harry Potter junkie, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime-chance to see Daniel sing and dance in this big role. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen the show so many times, but it didn’t have that special something that’s in most shows I’ve seen. Perhaps it didn’t have a “heart.” To me, there’s a difference between the leading man and the heart. They are two different roles. To end this post on a happy note, I would recommend this show to my friends. Great piece of work. Great revival. Bravo.

There was absolutely no way to go to stagedoor. With herds of Harry Potter fans lining up the aisles (waiting until intermission), I couldn’t see a thing. Though I would’ve loved some autographs and pictures, no stagedoor for this show.

- Maya

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