Brad Oscar to Replace Nathan Lane in London's The Producers

Brad Oscar will be London's next Max Bialystock. He will replace current headliner Nathan Lane in the West End production The Producers on January 10.

Oscar was in the original Broadway company of The Producers in the role of Franz Liebkind for which he earned a Tony nomination. He also served as Lane's standby--going on numerous times--and first officially took over the role of Max Bialystock when Henry Goodman Lane's replacement was fired in April 2002. Oscar played the role on the Great White Way for over a year, embarked on the national tour of the tuner and then returned to the Broadway company to be Lane's standby when the Tony winner came back to the show from December 30, 2003 through April 4, 2004. Oscar again took over when Lane departed and is currently appearing at the St. James Theatre opposite Hunter Foster. His other Broadway credits include Jekyll & Hyde and Aspects of Love. From 1992 to 1994 he appeared in Forbidden Broadway, both off-Broadway and in Los Angeles.

The West End mounting of The Producers, co-starring Lee Evans as Leo Bloom, opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane to rave reviews on November 9. Lane was a last-minute replacement for originally announced star Richard Dreyfuss who bowed out because of an injury and was only contracted through the beginning of January.

Richard Kind and Alan Ruck are scheduled to star as Broadway's next Bialystock and Bloom.