Darren Criss - Darren Criss Urges Friends To Stay Away From Opening Night Of New Show

Criss begins a three-week run in the hit show on 3 January (12) and admits he doesn't need the pressure of performing in front of people he knows until he's super confident.

He says, "Everyone's like, 'Oh, I gotta go to your opening night', but I'm terrified. I'm like, 'No, see it at, like, two-and-a-half weeks...'"

And he tells Entertainment Weekly magazine, "Theatre is a living creature. It takes a while to break in, like a new pair of shoes."

Criss will hand over the reigns of the show to Nick Jonas when he completes his leading man stint.