It’s official. Onetime “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe is now a Tony winner, for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for “Merrily We Roll Along.” That must make him the pride of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
All joking aside, Radcliffe (as the chipper Charley Kringas) prevailed over some stiff competition to roll his way to victory. His award is truly a testament to his achievement as a serious stage actor. However, it could be argued that Radcliffe was way overdue for that Tony. Thirteen years overdue, to be exact.
It was back in 2011 that he stepped into the shoes of J. Pierrepont Finch in the second Broadway revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Radcliffe tried very hard — and succeeded — in his performance. The show was a smash and he received rave reviews. But he was inexplicably snubbed in the Tony race for Best Actor in a Musical.
What is especially fascinating is that had Radcliffe made the lineup for “How to Succeed,” he very likely would have succeeded. Here are five reasons why.
1. He delivered a truly dazzling performance. I didn’t see the show until a few weeks after that year’s Tony Awards. And I (and the rest of the sold-out house) were all blown away by Radcliffe and his delirious dramatics. He was absolutely electrifying from start to finish — during song, dance and dialogue. You felt as if you were watching a legitimate Broadway icon, and not just a movie star awkwardly transplanted on Broadway. (Let’s face it, that’s a frequent occurrence.) Radcliffe especially crushed it during the show-stopping “Brotherhood of Man,” a rare pre-curtain call number that actually elicited a standing ovation. His work on that song alone should have landed him in the Best Actor brotherhood.
2. The role had enjoyed a perfect record of Tony success. You might say that J. Pierrepont Finch and the Tony were a match made in awards heaven. Robert Morse took home the trophy for the original Broadway production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” way back in 1962. Matthew Broderick found similar success for the first Broadway revival in 1995. It felt like the Finch was due to strike again in 2011. And with Radcliffe so perfectly cast in the part, the third time could have been a charm.
3. “How to Succeed in Business” was a potent Tony Awards contender. It reaped an impressive eight noms, including for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical for Rob Ashford. Radcliffe’s co-star (and stage nemesis) John Larroquette was named Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and Tammy Blanchard was nominated for Best Featured Actress. “How to Succeed” lost the Best Revival race to “Anything Goes.” Could Best Actor (for Radcliffe) have been the place where the show saw its biggest success? Anything goes in show business — and Radcliffe could have gone along with the “How to Succeed” ride.
4. He had already made his mark on Broadway with the “Equus” revival in 2008. That play marked his debut on the Great White Way. And what a play it was. Radcliffe was cast as Alan, a teenager with an unhealthy obsession with horses. His work in the dark and daring drama marked a sharp departure from the hoopla associated with “Harry Potter.” Neither Radcliffe nor “Equus” received any major Tony noms, but it certainly boosted his theater credentials. That would have definitely helped him had he made the horse race for “How to Succeed.”
5. He could have beaten Norbert Leo Butz in “Catch Me If You Can.” Predicting the Tony winner for Best Actor was quite the head scratcher that year. Many pundits were split between Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells in the eventual Best Musical champ, “The Book of Mormon.” That divide paved the way for Butz to squeak through. But Butz had a few things working against him. He had already been honored in the same category for “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” in 2005. And while “Catch Me If You Can” did make the Best Musical contest, it was notably overlooked for Best Direction, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. Therefore, the score might have been different had Radcliffe been there to battle Butz for Best Actor (no “Butz” about it). So long before his prize for “Merrily We Roll Along” merrily rolled along, Radcliffe could have demonstrated how to succeed at the Tony Awards for “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
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