How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Daniel Radcliffe to star in reading

Broadway's musical Mary Poppins welcomes the West End's original 'Mary', Olivier Award winner Laura Michelle Kelly, and Tony Award nominee Christian Borle (Broadway's Legally Blonde) on 12 Oct 2009. Variety reports that an upcoming New York Reading of the 1961 musical How To Succeed in Business Without Even Trying will feature 'Harry Potter' Star Daniel Radcliffe.

The reading is being produced by Broadway Across America, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron as a try out for a possible Broadway production.

Radcliffe, who made his London and Broadway debut in 2008 in the play 'Equus,' is the only member of cast so far scheduled for the reading, which is to be held in New York in Dec 2009.

The reading will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie) who earned critical appraise for his helmship of the musical 'Parade' at London's Donmar Warehouse in 2007.

How To Succeed in Business Without Even Trying has music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert.

The musical tells the story of 'J. Pierrepont Finch,' a young window washer, who with the help of the self-improvement book "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" climbs his way up the corporate ladder of the World Wide Wicket Company only to lead the firm towards potential disaster.

How To Succeed in Business Without Even Trying premiered on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre, where it ran from 12 Oct 1961 - 6 Mar 1965, and went on to win 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. That production was directed by Abe Burrows and choreographed by Hugh Lambert, and starred Robert Morse as 'J. Pierrepont Finch.'

The show was revived on Broadway in 1995, playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre from 10 Mar 1995 - 14 Jul 1996. The production was directed by Des McAnuff and choreographed by Wayne Cilento. Matthew Broderick, who starred in the revival as 'J. Pierrepont Finch' won the 1995 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.