How to Succeed in Business: A Review of the Current Production
Posted By Kathleen David on June 15, 2011
For those of you who were worried about Daniel Radcliff’s career after the last Harry Potter film comes out this summer, don’t. Mr. Radcliff is going to have a very long and very healthy career on the stage. I didn’t see Equus. I stage managed a production of it a while ago and, frankly, I really didn’t feel like seeing it again. However last night Ariel and I did go see Mr. Radcliff in “How to Succeed at Business” at the Al Hirschfeld theater and he was impressive. The accent was mostly American. The singing was fine and his dancing ability is rather impressive. He acquitted most admirably.
The other “name” in the show was John Larroquette who started his Broadway career with this show and I am really hoping he continues it. He is amazing. His comic timing, which I knew was good from the other things I have seen him in, works even better when he has an audience to work off of. He can do more with the crook of a finger than many actors can do with their whole bodies in conveying an emotion. He won the Tony for Best Supporting and boy howdy did he deserve it.
Overall the production is a lot of fun. The sets are very clever. The director was also the chorographer which put the dance to a whole other level, kind of Fosse on overdrive. The costuming was bright which contrasted with the 60s style metal of the set. The cast is strong and you can tell they are having fun. There were a couple of incidents of actors trying to corpse each other (make the other crack up on stage.) A wayward box became a whole bit that was so well done it almost looked like it was planned. Anderson Cooper is the Narrator for it and he has the perfect voice for it.
I enjoyed it and laughed so hard that my sides hurt by the end. The energy was great and at no time did I feel the urge to look at my watch. Also I found myself watching the play rather than the effects around the play which can be really hard for me to do which is high praise from me.
It is a fine evening of Broadway theater in the grand sense of the word. I can highly recommend it and also predict that Mr. Radcliff is going to have a long and happy career trotting the boards.
Afterwards Ariel braved an insane crowd and got the cast to sign her poster and got her father Mr. Larroquette’s autograph. Yes, she got Mr. Radcliff’s autograph. We got caught in the madness that was the Spiderman after show party which slowed us down a lot getting through Time Square. We got home late but still smiling from the memories of the show.
I am grateful that we got to see this show with this cast.
Comments