Aaron Lazar

[Owen22]

Okay, when did Aaron suddenly get old enough to play Sam in "Mamma Mia"??????

[RippedMan]

I find it odd since GIANT is supposedly playing the Public this fall, and then Broadway.

But maybe he has a 6-month contract in Mamma Mia?

[AC126748]

^ Either that or he's not continuing with GIANT.

[RippedMan]

True. Could have overhauled it, I guess.

[AC126748]

Also, I doubt that the move to Broadway for GIANT is in any way guaranteed. Lazar has a young family, so perhaps he's chosen to do something that is a guaranteed source of long-term income.

Either that or it is just a limited engagement and he'd do both.

[Kad]

Giant isn't supposedly playing the Public this fall. It's a done deal. And a six-month contract for Lazar would still conflict with it, since it starts previews October 26.

Who knows what's happened with casting since it debuted, though. One would think Lazar would have stuck with it if he were able to.

[newintown]

What a strange career move, to become the 367th actor to play that nothing role. I wonder if he needs money badly.

[Kalimba]

Poor thing. Chalk it up to "just a job". I immediately thought Cougar Town, the musical. Let's just say Judy McLane isn't one of my favorite people.

[AC126748]

What a strange career move, to become the 367th actor to play that nothing role. I wonder if he needs money badly.

And I'm sure there will be a line down the block to become the 368th Sam once Lazar leaves. Sometimes people do favor a steady income over art. I can't say I blame them.

[newintown]

I know what you mean, but I thought Lazar was on a track to become something more than, say, Hugh Panaro.

[RippedMan]

I mean, I think it's a great show. I had a great time when I saw it.

And him being in the show is making me sort of interested to see it again.

[AC126748]

I agree with you that it's a waste of his talent, which is considerable. But I understand the impetus for steady employment. I would have preferred to see him in GIANT, though.

[PalJoey]

This may be off topic but...does the character of "Sam" remove his shirt?

[Yero my Hero]

Unfortunately, no, not that I recall.

As strange as this casting is, I'm just excited to get people in the roles who can actually sing them. With the exception of Lisa Brescia, most of the current leads are sounding pretty strained.

[bjh2114]

I mean, between Aaron, Graham Rowat, and Felicia Finley, they are casting the leads young. Felicia is way too young to be playing Tanya. I assumed Aaron would be playing Sky, not that it's a good role for him, but rather because of his age.

[somethingwicked]

At 34, Aaron Lazar is far too young to be playing Sam (he's only nine years older than Christy Altomare, who's playing his potential daughter,) but how is Felicia Finley way too young to be playing Tanya? She's 41, which isn't all that much different than most actresses who play the role.

It seems like relatively brief leaves of absence are common at MAMMA MIA!, so Lazar could very well be doing a stint short enough that he could remain involved with GIANT at The Public come the fall.

[CurtainPullDowner]

MIA can afford to and pays the leads VERY well, and it's a fairly easy gig.

I don't know why I think this but haven't there been shorter replacements than 6 months in the MIA?

Very happy Altomare is making her BWay debut, she is very talented.

Lazar can pass for 40 with some facial hair.

[jamiekennywicked]

Does anyone know if he's still attached to SIDE SHOW?

[mamaleh]

I'll see Aaron Lazar in anything. He was SO much better than Matthew Morrison in PIAZZA, shone in TALE OF TWO CITIES and NIGHT MUSIC and was in fun, fine voice in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDS.

I'd just prefer he'd be in something other than MAMMA MIA, but so it goes. And I hope GIANT is still on his horizon.

[sopranobiz]

Aaron must have forgotten to consult with this message board on his next career move.

[Kad]

And someone must have taken two bitch pills today!

[sopranobiz]

More like a handful every day.

[bjh2114]

I just feel like Tanya is older than 41. I feel like Judy always read older than 41. And Christine Baranski played the part in the movie when she was 56. And Felicia reads FAR younger than her age.

[beautywickedlover]

"At 34, Aaron Lazar is far too young to be playing Sam (he's only nine years older than Christy Altomare, who's playing his potential daughter,) but how is Felicia Finley way too young to be playing Tanya?"

This is indeed a strange casting choice and its possible that they make Lazar look older. But this is not the only time that something like this happened. In Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End revival of 'The Sound of Music', Sophie Bould, who played Liesl, was one year older than Connie Fisher, who played Maria. Also, the same thing happened with their replacements Amy Lennox and Summer Strallen. Lennox was older than Strallen.

[broadway_show_fan]

I love Aaron Lazar and I agree with you, mamaleh, and think he was better than Morrison in PIAZZA by leaps and bounds. I didn't get to see him in A TALE OF TWO CITIES but it was great to see him again in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES.

I had been thinking of going back to see MAMMA MIA! now that McLane is taking over the lead, but was kind of on the fence about it. When I saw the news article about Lazar and Finley, I was much more excited and I'll be making my first return trip to the show since September 2006. I didn't recognize her name, but when I googled Christy Altomare, I was delighted to see that she was the girl who played "Sue Snell" in the CARRIE revival. I thought she was wonderful in that and really deserving of a great role. "Sophie" might not be a plum role but I really think she will do well and hopefully it springboards her into other great options.

What great replacement casting overall, though. For once it seems like a fresh group!

[HorseTears]

So would.



(oh, sorry, only read the thread title)