Osakwe blog

A New Dragoon: Bradley Dean Will Replace Aaron Lazar in 'Night Music'

Aaron Lazar will slip out of the boots of Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm in Broadway's A Little Night Music on Aug. 29. His understudy, Bradley Dean, who has played servant Frid since the production's fall 2009 launch, will assume the role.

Also on Aug. 29, Sara Jean Ford is exiting the role of Mrs. Anderssen (she's heading over to the Majestic Theatre to play Christine in The Phantom of the Opera). Jessica Grové (Thoroughly Modern Millie, 2008's Sunday in the Park With George) will take Ford's Night Music track as one of the five "liebeslieders."

Stephen R. Buntrock (Mr. Lindquist since the Broadway run began) will now play Frid. Ben Davis (Thoroughly Modern Millie, La Boheme, Les Miz) becomes Mr. Lindquist.

Dean begins permanently playing the pompous dragoon Carl-Magnus — lover to the actress Desirée Desiree and husband to Charlotte — on Aug. 31.

Lazar's Broadway credits include Les Miserables, A Tale of Two Cities, The Light in the Piazza and more.

Dean's Broadway credits include Spamalot, Company, The Story of my Life, Man of La Mancha, Jane Eyre, plus Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks and Walmartopia.

A Little Night Music, the story of love making fools of a group Swedes 100 years ago, is suggested by Ingmar Bergman's "Smiles of a Summer Night," and features a book by Hugh Wheeler and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It stars Bernadette Peters as Desirée Armfeldt, Elaine Stritch as Madame Armfeldt, Alexander Hanson as Fredrik Egerman, Erin Davie as Countess Charlotte Malcolm, Leigh Ann Larkin as Petra, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as Henrik Egerman and Ramona Mallory as Anne Egerman. The cast also includes Katherine McNamara, Betsy Morgan, Jayne Paterson, Kevin David Thomas, Keaton Whittaker, Karen Murphy, Erin Stewart and Kevin Vortmann.

A Little Night Music plays the Walter Kerr Theatre.

Highlights from A Little Night Music: