‘Glee’ regular Darren Criss has stepped in to fill Daniel Radcliffe’s role in the Broadway smash-hit “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”.

Criss, whose is of Irish and Filipino descent, was an obvious choice for Broadway producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to play the corporate-ladder climbing character of J. Pierrepont Finch.

On being offered the part, Criss said, “It seemed too good to be true, so I made it a priority.”

Speaking to E! Weekly Zadan said, “We asked Darren if he was interested in doing a limited run in the show, and he got on a plane and snuck into the theater one matinee to check out the part..He called when he got out and said, ‘I have to play this role!’”

Despite being an experienced performer, Criss admitted to pre-show jitters on his first night. He said he hoped that his family and friends weren’t in the audience at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

“Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, I gotta go to your opening night!’ ” said Criss. “But I’m terrified. I’m like, ‘No! See it at, like, two and a half weeks.’ Theater is a living creature. It takes a while to break in, like a new pair of shoes.”
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Criss has been brought in to replace “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe. Like most twenty-somethings, Criss has very much grown up with “Harry Potter”. In college he played the “Boy Who Lived” in a spoof “A Very Potter Musical” (see a clip below).

Although he’s been a fan of “Harry Potter” for years, Criss has still not met Radcliffe. He said “We have lots to talk about, the least of which would be Harry Potter.

They have even worked for the same charity, the Trevor Project, a service organization supporting gay and lesbian youth.

He added “We’ve been on parallel paths.”

Although Criss is making his debut on Broadway he wont be missing too much time at “Glee’s” McKinley High. Criss will only miss out on one episode.

The Broadway debutante said Ryan Murphy and the “Glee” cast and crew “were surprisingly supportive.”

Glee’s “Yes/No” episode will air on 17th January.

Here’s a preview:

“A Very Potter Musical” starring Darren Criss: