December 5, 2007 -- THE stagehands weren't the only ones who signed a contract last week. Harry Potter and Vernon Dursley inked a deal for the Broadway production of "Equus," which will open next fall.
Daniel Radcliffe, as the boy who blinds horses, and Tony winner Richard Griffiths, as the psychiatrist who tries to figure out why, triumphed in London earlier this year.
"Harry Potter" fans rushed to see Radcliffe wave his other wand during a 10-minute sex scene with co-star Joanna Christie. The show was pretty much a sellout and made a tidy sum for investors.
To sign on for the New York production, Radcliffe had to stand up to Warner Brothers, the producer of the "Harry Potter" series. The studio wanted the actor to make back-to-back movies: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
Radcliffe, who's earned about $50 million from the series, balked, saying he wanted a break between movies to do Broadway, sources say. He got his way.
New York can expect a "Harry Potter" frenzy every night in Times Square. In London, fans regularly mobbed the stage door. A phalanx of London bobbies always escorted Radcliffe to his car. He'd pause on the way to sign "Equus" posters and playbills but refused to sign any "Harry Potter" memorabilia.
One night, the crowd was so thick that Griffiths - who scares away kiddie fans with a nasty Vernon stare - got trapped in the theater and had to sneak out a window.
It was a sight to behold.
A couple of stagehands hoisted the ample actor up to the window. But when he tried to climb through it, he got stuck. The stagehands shoved him until he popped out on the other side. Griffiths hit the pavement, creating a hole the size of the Haleakala Crater on Maui. He then bounced across Leicester Square, flattening both the Empire and Odeon cinemas. He started to roll down The Mall in St. James Park, forcing the immediate evacuation of Buckingham Palace. He came to a stop at the palace gate, steadied himself and ducked into the famous Red Lion pub on Pall Mall for his usual coffee laced with very cheap brandy.
OK - I exaggerate. But his producer, David Pugh, did say of the whole incident: "You try to get Richard Griffiths out a back window. It was a bit touch-and-go."
Earlier this year, there were rumors that Griffiths might not be well enough to do "Equus" in New York. The list of possible replacements included Robin Williams and Alec Baldwin, who's said to be a big fan of the play. But Radcliffe made it clear to the producers that he wouldn't come to Broadway without Griffiths.
And since the window incident, Griffiths has lost quite a bit of weight.
You couldn't exactly call him slim, but he should be able to fit into the Music Box or the Booth, one of which is likely to house "Equus."
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