Darren Criss is glee-ful about his Broadway bow in 'How to 'Succeed...'


Jorge Carreon, LA Personalities Examiner

January 3, 2012


Television’s most progressive teenage dream, Darren Criss, is about to have his growing legion of fans shriek with, well, glee. The popular actor and recording star just took over the lead role of J. Pierrepont Finch in the Tony-winning Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Criss, who replaced Daniel Radcliffe in the classic stage musical this week, will appear in the production for a strictly limited, three-week engagement until January 22. Find out what this Warbler had to say about transitioning from Glee and why the power of live performance has actually restored his passion for music in this exclusive Personalities Brief.

JORGE CARREON: You will be doing How to Succeed... eight times a week. After being part of the Glee juggernaut, both series and concert tour, does music still have the power to inspire you now that it’s become such a strict regime?

DARREN CRISS: Of course! It’s music! [CHUCKLE]. Music is all powerful and it’s never really gonna tire you out. Obviously there’s a regiment behind the way we do things on Glee. But, having music is better than not having music, so.



CARREON:It’s not often an enterprise like Glee becomes a kind of pop culture institution in such a short period of time. Last year, you participated in the Glee concert tour. Now, you’re leading a successful Broadway musical. Is it a relief to step out of the studio?

CRISS: Live events are an evolving thing and it’s different every night. It’s a great extension of what is celebrated on the show, but it’s celebrated in real time with real people. I come from theater. Working in TV is very impersonal. It’s a camera and a lens and a box and lights. The camera doesn’t give you anything. You have to give everything to the camera. When there’s a live audience and you feel energy of people, it’s very ethereal. You see people’s expressions and you feel the heat of a room and just the vibe of a community experiencing it. It doesn’t become about you anymore. It’s about everybody. I’m not tired of it at all. Get back to me in maybe five years and I’ll probably be a jaded old soul. [LAUGHS]. But it’s so nice to be doing this.



CARREON: Now that you have an exciting new platform on which to entertain people, do you feel a responsibility to protect the image of Blaine? Both of you have become very visible and positive role models.

CRISS: The thing I like to say is that I’m some random dude that got incredibly lucky. I’ve been given this beautiful superhero’s costume. And, I’m thinking, “Okay, I can’t fit into this. I’m like a small little dude, I’m not gonna look cool in this outfit at all.” I’m not even just being cheeky about the outfit that I get to wear. But I literally have this power suit that has been granted to me and entrusted to me, and it is my duty to not get it dirty. Whatever people believe in, because of this suit, this thing that has nothing to do with me, it is my duty to live up to that and to believe in it as well. And luckily I do. The sociopolitical things involved with my character or the show and a lot of its ideals are ones I happen to be very supportive of myself. So it’s easy. But it’s been a gift and a blessing and I don’t feel pressured. I feel very empowered and very humbled by it. If craziness and followers and attention is gonna happen for anything, I’m lucky that it’s something like Glee. This is like the best life that I could have never imagined.

Citation :

The camera doesn’t give you anything. You have to give everything to the camera. When there’s a live audience and you feel energy of people, it’s very ethereal. You see people’s expressions and you feel the heat of a room and just the vibe of a community experiencing it.

c'est trop chouuuuuuu
pourvu qu'il reste comme ca (amble encore un peu)