Moldova

Daniel Radcliffe on B'way in `Equus'

September 26, 2008

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Daniel Radcliffe debuted on Brodway in "Equus" last night. He played Alan Strang, the troubled young man he plays in "Equus," the Peter Shaffer drama.

"It was funny because tonight I didn't expect to be nervous because we've done all the previews, we've had all the critics here," Radcliffe said after Thursday's performance. "I thought, `Oh, we'll do it tonight, it won't be so bad.' But I was terrified before we went out. I was like, `Omigod, this is it.'"

Radcliffe earned rave reviews for his performance in the London production of the Tony-winning play. His portrayal of a disturbed teenager who blinds six horses requires him to appear naked onstage — a departure from his G-rated image as the boy wizard in the big-screen adaptations of J.K. Rowling's best-selling fantasy novels.

"Equus" was a big hit on Broadway in 1974 with Peter Firth in Radcliffe's role and Anthony Hopkins portraying the psychiatrist who tries to unlock his secret. Hopkins' part is now being played by Richard Griffiths, who co-starred with Radcliffe in the 2007 London production of "Equus" and who portrays nasty Uncle Vernon in all those spectacularly successful "Harry Potter" movies.