By Michael Avila
Special to DNAinfo
THEATER DISTRICT — The Boy Wizard is a Broadway star.
Daniel Radcliffe sings, dances and generally charms his way through his Broadway musical debut in the quaint revival of Frank Loesser's "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying," which opened Sunday night at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on West 45th Street.
Aside from showing off some previously unseen talents — his turn as the namesake boy wizard in the "Harry Potter" series didn't include any musical numbers — the show also proves the British actor's savvy. Picking a musical that's a vast shift from his previous serious film and theater persona gives him a chance to try to break type.
It's frankly surprising how comfortable Radcliffe appeared with the lighthearted material, given that his previous work includes "Equus," a psychological drama in which he plays a troubled stable boy who bares all by the end of the play.
Radcliffe stars as the fast-talking, ultra-ambitious corporate ladder climber J. Pierrepont Finch — F-I-N-C-H, as he points out several times. Following the step-by-step advice in a How-To book (narrated by Anderson Cooper), Ponty, as he is called, shrewdly and quickly manipulates his way into upper management at the World Wide Wicket Company in the Manhattan of the early '60s.
Along the way, he catches the fancy of a secretary, played by Broadway newcomer Rose Hemingway. Rosemary has one eye on her stenography, the other on finding a husband to fulfill her suburban dreams. Ponty also discovers a passive-aggressive office rival, the scene-stealing Christopher J. Hanke; and finds a mentor in his boss, J.B. Biggley, five-time Emmy winner John Larroquette.
The musical comedy hijinks play out in increasingly broad strokes.
Ponty stays two steps ahead of the game. Each time he gets a supervisor transferred or 'selflessly' turns down a promotion (knowing a better one is on the way), Radcliffe pauses and flashes a knowing smile to the audience.
Director/choreographer Rob Ashford's production seems to revel in its outdated nature. The retro set design is straight out of "Mad Men" — minus the underlying despair. Even some of the 17 musical numbers, not including reprises, seem to be channeling Don Draper, including "Cinderella Darling," a smiley sing-along about secretaries dreaming of marrying their boss.
Feminists be warned: "How To Succeed Without Trying" treats its female characters as dismissively as Ponty treats Rosemary.
Hemingway is game and charming in her two solo numbers, but the relationship between her and Radcliffe's characters is an afterthought in the story. Most of the blame lies in the book adaptation by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert. But it also could reflect Ponty's perspective on the value of relationships. For most of the show, they don't matter much at all to him, except as a means to his end.
The closest thing to a meaningful bond Ponty establishes during the show is with Biggley. Radcliffe and Larroquette's duet on the rousing "Grand Old Ivy," with its silly alma mater traditions and old-school football choreography, is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser every night. Theirs is the one relationship we want to see survive the kerfuffle at the end.
The big finish, incidentally, is when Radcliffe really brings it home.
"Brotherhood of Man" is the kind of showstopping number a young actor looking to break from type dreams about performing. It's a classic, cover-the-entire-stage type of tune with solo dance riffs and a big finish. Radcliffe pulled it off admirably. He's not a great singer by any means, only serviceable at this point. But what he lacks in precision he compensates for with the enthusiasm of a rookie given one chance to make the team.
The crowd at the performance I attended erupted the moment Radcliffe began his dance moves — hitting all his marks, it should be noted. It was as if they were caught off guard by how fluid the 21-year-old Brit looked onstage. Who can blame them? The best moves he's shown so far in his career have been on a flying CGI broomstick.
"How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" is an enjoyable if almost intentionally shallow escapade through the Corporate America of the 1960s.
Fortunately for the production, their star player came to play.
His performance is the surest sign yet that while Daniel Radcliffe is and may always be Harry Potter to most muggles, he has the talent and gumption to move on.
