Bradley Dean to Replace Aaron Lazar in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC; Jessica Grove to Join Cast 8/31

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Bradley Dean (Spamalot, Company, The Story of My Life, Man of La Mancha) will replace Aaron Lazar as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC on August 31, 2010.  Dean has understudied Lazar throughout the production in addition to playing the role of servant Frid. Lazar will play his last performance on August 29.  Stephen R. Buntrock, who has played Mr. Lindquist since the show's opening will step into the role of Frid, while Ben Davis will join the company as the new Mr. Lindquist.

Sara Jean Ford, one of NIGHT MUSIC's 'liebeslieders' will also depart the production on August 29 to assume the role of Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Jessica Grové (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sunday in the Park With George) will take her place.

Directed by Tony Award-winner Trevor Nunn, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC plays the Walter Kerr Theatre.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC currently stars Bernadette Peters as Desirée Armfeldt, Elaine Stritch as Madame Armfeldt, Alexander Hanson as Fredrik Egerman, Aaron Lazar as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, 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 Stephen R. Buntrock, Bradley Dean, Sara Jean Ford, Katherine McNamara, Betsy Morgan, Jayne Paterson, Kevin David Thomas, Keaton Whittaker, Karen Murphy, Erin Stewart, Kevin Vortmann.

Based on Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is set in a weekend country house in turn of the century Sweden, bringing together surprising liaisons, long simmering passions and a taste of love's endless possibilities. Hailed as witty and wildly romantic, the story centers on the elegant actress Desirée Armfeldt and the spider's web of sensuality, intrigue and desire that surrounds her.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC - featuring a score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler - originally opened in 1973 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre and ran for 601 performances. Produced and directed by Harold Prince, the production garnered six Tony Awards® including Best Musical and Best Original Score. The Sondheim score features one of the composer's best-known songs, "Send in the Clowns," as well as "Every Day a Little Death," "The Miller's Son" and "A Weekend in the Country."

Trevor Nunn's production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC debuted to critical acclaim at London's Menier Chocolate Factory in November 2008 and subsequently transferred to the West End where it played a successful limited engagement through July 25, 2009 at the Garrick Theatre. The first Broadway revival of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC began performances on November 24, 2009 and officially opened on December 13, 2009 at the Walter Kerr Theatre starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, who played their final performance on Sunday, June 20, 2010.

The creative team for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC includes Lynne Page (Choreography), Caroline Humphris (Musical Supervision), David Farley (Set & Costume Design), Hartley T A Kemp (Lighting Design), Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen (Sound Design), Paul Huntley (Wig Design), Jason Carr (Orchestrations) and Rob Bowman (Musical Direction).

For tickets and more information, visit www.nightmusiconbroadway.com/.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.