And right on Criss’ heels will be another teen idol, Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers! Nick is no stranger to the stage, having performed in such shows as Beauty and the Beast and Les Miserables. His diverse talents and musical chops make him the perfect man to pick up the role of J. Pierrepont Finch on January 24th. Grab your tickets as soon as you can because this Jo Bro has never been hotter!

John Larroquette (J.B. Biggley) – Larroquette was last seen off-Broadway in Oliver Parker!. In the past, he has appeared on stage in Neil Simon’s Oscar and Felix: A New Look at The Odd Couple in Los Angeles and in Happy Jack. Larroquette is also widely known for his work in television on Night Court, Boston Legal, and The Practice.

Rose Hemingway (Rosemary Pilkington) - Hemingway is making her Broadway debut in How to Succeed. Previously, she has been seen in the Donmar Warehouse production of Parade at the Mark Taper Forum, and as Sophie Sheridan in the national tour of Mamma Mia!

Tammy Blanchard (Hedy La Rue) – Blanchard is famous for her role as young Judy in Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, for which she won an Emmy. She has also been seen on Broadway in Gypsy and has appeared in films such as The Good Shepherd and Rabbit Hole.

Christopher J. Hanke (Bud Frump) - Previous Broadway credits for Hanke include Cry-Baby, Rent, and  In My Life. He has also appeared in Hair with the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park and on the national tours of Big River and The Full Monty.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is one of the best selling theater tickets in the USA right now, but the story began life back in 1952 as a book, written by Shepherd Mead. “How to Succeed” was Mead’s best known book, but he produced a number of other works of interest. The writer, originally from St. Louis, wrote about many things, including science fiction novels based in the future (1993, in the case of “The Big Ball of Wax: A Story of Tomorrow’s Happy World”). “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” the book was written as a parody of an instruction manual, and satirized life in an American corporate office. The story is largely autobiographical; Mead himself began working for the Benton & Bowles advertising agency when he was around the age of 22 in 1936 as a mail-room worker. He climbed up the corporate structure to become the vice-president of the company. As he worked his way up the ladder, Mead wrote the book in his spare time. It went on to become a huge seller.

In the mid-50s, a curious partnership between a playwright and a neurosurgeon (Willie Gilbert and Jack Weinstock) came up with a stage adaptation that remained unrealized until 1960. Broadway producers recognized “How to Succeed”‘s potential as a musical, and the same team who’d written Damon Runyon’s “Guys and Dolls” five years earlier took on the task of properly adapting “How To Succeed” for the Broadway stage. The co-authors, writer Abe Burrows and composer Frank Loesser directed and co-produced, respectively, and in 1961 rehearsals finally began for Shepherd Mead’s excellent story. The production opened in October of that year and ran for over 1,400 performances, winning numerous Tony Awards. It is fair to say that 1961 was the perfect year for the show to launch; a relatively calm trough between the social changes of the 50s and 60s, in which America basked in an untouchable post-war glow and ex-servicemen were enjoying vacuous corporate careers like so many million happy drones. The unforgettable characters of J. Pierrepont Finch, JB Biggley and Rosemary Pilkington were made for the time. It’s easy to envisage the crisp suits, retro-looking foyers and clinking xylophonic vibe of the suave and slippery souls as they navigated the corporate landscape to their own ends.

Now, this latest version is doing a roaring trade. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying tickets are selling out on Broadway all over again, and this time in a new age of celebrity. It’s difficult to imagine Harry Potter playing J. Pierrepont Finch, but it is happening, and it is a smash!

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opened on March 28, and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has been proving he can perform in a musical as well as a movie about wizards. In a Brooks Brothers suit under direction from costume designer Catherine Zuber, Radcliffe is bringing a dynamic new version of J. Pierrepont Finch to the Broadway stage. Radcliffe admitted that he was in fact “terrified” by this role, saying, “I have no doubt this will be the hardest I’ve ever worked in my entire life. I’ve been training really hard because I don’t want (production director) Rob Ashford to feel like he has to censor himself for me. I want him to be able to treat me as much like a dancer as he can.” The transition from child star to Broadway dancer isn’t one many actors could make easily, but Daniel is “having a bash” as the Brits say, and showing his versatility. The impish lad with the cheek to star in Equus fully naked is performing alongside actors John Larroquette and Rose Hemmingway and knocking them out. The tale of the lowly postal worker who claws his way to the pinnacle of a vast corporation has been staged and celebrated several times. This production marks the 50th anniversary of the musical, and tickets are moving fast. Check out the schedule here and go see a best-selling musical.

How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying tickets will be one of the 2011 Broadway season’s biggest discussion points and definitely one of the best-sellers of the coming theater season. Come along and see how Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe adapts to the role of window cleaner J. Pierrepont Finch – the guy who just wants to succeed!