From Potter to Broadway: Darren Criss Follows in Daniel Radcliffe’s Footsteps

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Darren Criss, left, and Daniel Radcliffe, right

The Boy Who Lived is moving on, and Blaine is to the rescue.

On January 3, Glee’s Darren Criss will replace Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch in Broadway’s How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, making his Broadway debut.  He will be in the show until January 22, according to BBC News. The leading role of Finch was originated by Radcliffe in the show’s revival, which opened on March 27.

(PHOTOS: Actor Daniel Radcliffe)

The 24-year-old Criss, who is known best as playing Kurt Hummel’s boyfriend, Blaine, on Glee, has wowed fans with his renditions of pop hits like Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream and classics like Baby It’s Cold Outside.

It seems almost natural for Criss to take over Radcliffe’s role—it’s not the first time he’s played the same character. What first put Criss in the spotlight were the satirical Harry Potter musical spoofs turned YouTube sensations, “A Very Potter Musical,” and “A Very Potter Sequel,” which he wrote and starred in.

It turns out that the team behind How to Succeed thought he would be the perfect replacement, too.  The show’s director and choreographer, Rob Ashford, said, “We are ecstatic and grateful to Ryan Murphy and his Glee team at 20th Century Fox TV for helping to make both Darren’s and our dream come true.”

MORE: Six Silly Viral Videos Inspired by Harry Potter