How to Succeed in Business...: John Larroquette to make Broadway debut

Five-time Emmy Award winner John Larroquette will make his Broadway debut as 'J.B. Biggley' joining multi award-winning international film and stage actor Daniel Radcliffe as 'J. Pierrepont Finch' in a new production of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comedy How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying opening at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 27 Mar 2011, following previews from 26 Feb, and booking through to 6 Nov 2011.

John Larroquette was last seen in the off-Broadway production of 'Oliver Parker!' written by Elizabeth Meriwether. Past stage appearances include Neil Simon's 'Oscar and Felix: A New Look At The Odd Couple' at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and 'Happy Jack' written by 2-time BAFTA winner John Godber. Larroquette is a five-time Emmy Award-winning actor, best known as Assistant District Attorney "Dan Fielding" on NBC-TV's "Night Court," which earned him four Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also starred in the NBC comedy series "The John Larroquette Show," was a series regular on "Boston Legal" and won his fifth Emmy Award for a guest-starring role on "The Practice." He played the title role in Hallmark's acclaimed crime series "McBride," and starred on NBC's sitcom "Happy Family." Film credits include "Richie Rich," "Tune in Tomorrow," "Second Sight" and "Madhouse."

Directed and choreographed by Tony and Emmy Award-winner Rob Ashford, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying has a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's satirical self-help book of the same name and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Rob Ashford is director and choreographer of the current Broadway revival of 'Promises, Promises' starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. He won a Tony Award for Best Choreography for 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' in 2002, and was recently awarded an Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for his work on the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Further casting and full creative team still to be announced.

Following the advice of a book entitled "How to Succeed in Business" a young window-cleaner, J. Pierrepont Finch, begins a meteoric rise from the mail-room to Vice President of Advertising at the World-Wide Wicket Company. Finch's unorthodox and morally-questionable business practices jeopardize not only his career but also his romance with Secretary Rosemary Pilkington.

With a score by Frank Loesser, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying songs include "I Believe in You," "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm," "The Company Way," "Been a Long Day," "Rosemary," and "Brotherhood of Man."

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying is produced by Broadway Across America (John Gore, Thomas B. McGrath, Beth Williams), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the team behind the current Broadway revival of 'Promises,Promises' starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying opened to critical acclaim at the 46TH Street Theatre (Richard Rodgers) on Broadway in Oct 1961, running for 1,417 performances. The cast starred Robert Morse as Finch, Bonnie Scott as Rosemary, Charles Nelson Reilly as Bud Frump, and Rudy Vallee as the President of the World-Wide Wicket Company. The show won seven Tony Awards including best musical and best book, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best musical, a Grammy for best original cast show album, and is one of only eight musicals to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

In 1967, a film based on the musical was released by United Artists, with Morse and Vallee recreating their Broadway roles, with Michele Lee as 'Rosemary.'

In 1995, a revival directed by Des McAnuff starring Matthew Broderick as 'Finch' and Megan Mullally as R'osemary' ran for 548 performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.