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Daniel Radcliffe isn’t the first heartthrob to play J. Pierrepont Finch in “How to Succeed” on Broadway.
“I used to sneak out the back door some nights,” says Robert Morse, who originated the role in 1961, won a Tony (best actor in a muscial) for it, and then went on to star in the 1967 movie version.
“But Daniel Radcliffe will probably have to sneak out a window!” says Morse, whose signature dimples and gap-toothed smile sent girls swooning in his day.
Morse currently stars as Bert Cooper, the eccentric head of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce on “Mad Men.” The ad-agency role is a wink to his role as Finch in “How to Succeed.” In the musical, Finch starts out as a window washer and cleverly climbs the corporate ladder to become chairman of the board of the World Wide Wickets Company, an advertising firm. The show itself is a gentle satire on the marketing world.
“I know that Matthew Weiner [‘Mad Men’ writer and producer] wanted me for the role because he remembered me in ‘How to Succeed,’ ” says Morse, who recalls experiencing déjà vu when he first stepped onto the “Mad Men” set. “When I saw the rows of desks and typewriters and everything else from that period, I started walking up and down the aisles singing songs from ‘How to Succeed.’ You can’t believe how similar it is.”
He hopes to catch the Broadway revival soon, but wants to give the actors time to settle into their roles.
“I am so happy for this production. It fills me with joy that they are doing it, and I think Radcliffe is an amazing talent. I know when I see it I will look at the stage and say to myself, ‘How the hell did I ever do that?’ and tears will probably roll down my face.”