Is Daniel Radcliffe Ready to Succeed in a Musical?

Can Harry Potter sing? Daniel Radcliffe, best known for playing the title character in the Harry Potter films, is set to lead the cast of an upcoming reading of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. According to Variety, the December reading, directed by Rob Ashford, is the first step in what may eventually lead to a Broadway revival of the musical.

Radcliffe, who was named the 2008 Broadway.com Star of the Year, made his West End debut as Alan Strang in the West End production of Equus in 2007 and went on to star in the Broadway transfer of the production last season. Playing J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed… would mark his musical debut.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying features a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. It tells the tale of Finch, a crafty window cleaner, as he follows the advice of a self-help manual to connive his way up through the ranks of World Wide Wickets Co. and get the girl in the process. The original Broadway production, starring Robert Morse as Finch, opened in 1961 and went on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The 1995 Broadway revival won a Best Actor Tony Award for star Matthew Broderick.

The reading will be produced by Broadway Across America, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. No other casting has been set for the reading.