Before Headlining Hedwig, Glee's Darren Criss to Star in 17 Again Musical Reading

Darren Criss is headlining a private developmental reading of 17 Again, a musical based on the 2009 Zac Efron film, on March 6. Under the direction of Hairspray film director Adam Shankman, the Glee star will join Craig Bierko, Jackie Hoffman, George Wendt, Jennifer Damiano, Steve Rosen, Taylor Louderman, Leslie Kritzer and Andy Mientus in the New York reading, which features a score by First Date songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner and book by TV writer Marco Pennette.

17 Again tells the story of Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry in the film), a former high school basketball player who regrets a choice he made to leave the most important game of his career to propose to his pregnant girlfriend, Scarlet. When the depressed Mike loses his job, he returns to his old high school, where a janitor asks him if he wishes he could be 17 again. Answering "yes," he magically jumps back in time to his former self (Efron) and gets a second chance to fix his life.

A Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Criss is headed back to Broadway as the star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on April 29.

This closed presentation is one of multiple projects Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures currently has in development to create new works for first class productions, professional and regional tours and amateur licensing.