‘Glee’s’ Darren Criss in Talks to Replace Daniel Radcliffe in ‘How to Succeed’

The gleeks among us may not have caught Lea Michele in ‘Spring Awakening’ or Matthew Morrison in the revival of ‘South Pacific,’ but they soon may be able to say they saw Darren Criss in ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’ Deadline reports that Criss is currently in talks to take over Daniel Radcliffe’s role of J. Pierrepont Finch. Radcliffe’s contract is set to end in January.

Darren Criss plays Kurt’s heartthrob and Warbler Blaine Anderson on ‘Glee.’ ‘Glee’ fanatics shouldn’t take this latest development as the end of Blaine’s character and some tragic love story gone wrong for Kurt. Criss is said to be eying a limited run of 3 weeks from January 3 through 22 that he can squeeze between his filming obligations. At the most, he is expected to miss a couple episodes of ‘Glee.’ Producers for ‘How to Succeed’ are still searching for a more permanent replacement for Radcliffe and co-star John Larroquette to take the musical through the winter and into spring.

The Darren Criss, Daniel Radcliffe connection is an interesting one. While Daniel Radcliffe is by all defining purposes Harry Potter, Criss rose to fame by starring in a Potter parody entitled ‘A Very Potter Musical’ while at the University of Michigan. All it took was spin on YouTube and the viral monster took over, launching his career.

‘How to Succeed’ is a Broadway revival that was resurrected on the Al Hirschfeld stage last March. It was nominated for the Tony for Best Musical Revival at the recent awards ceremony and has consistently played to sold out houses since its debut.

For those who can’t wait for ‘Glee’s’ fall return to see Criss, be sure to catch him at your local movieplex when ‘Glee: The 3D Concert Movie’ debuts on August 12. ‘Glee’ returns for its third season on Fox Tuesday, September 20 at 8pm.