Stephen R. Buntrock to replace Alexander Hanson in NIGHT MUSIC

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:26am

Interesting...I thought Hanson had extended again? Or maybe I'm just imagining that.

Has anyone seen Buntrock in the role? I'm going to be seeing the show again sometime in October and Hanson has always been on when I've gone, I adore his Fredrik and I'm sad to see him leave.


Playbill article Updated On: 9/22/10 at 12:26 AM

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:45am

I saw Buntrock in March and loved him so I'm quite excited for him!

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:54am

Bummer! I haven't seen Buntrock yet, but I'll be sad to see Hanson go. Might have to rush the show on Saturday to catch him again!

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 1:34am

I thought Buntrock would come off as too young, however from the production photos he looks good.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:51am

Ron Bohmer is replacing Buntrock as Frid! I am excited to see both of them.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 6:27am

SERIOUSLY?! AAAAAH!!!!! RAGTIME FANGIRL!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 7:17am

The fact that they retook all those production photos with Buntrock and Dean leads me to think that he's going to playing the role longer than a month...

[Here I Am]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 11:34am

He looks rather young, yet somehow still fits in this role. Does anyone know exactly how old Stephen R. Buntrock is?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:15pm

Will he sit bolt upright and scream DESIREE!!! and grab his crotch at the end of Now/Soon/Later the way Hanson did?

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:20pm

Hanson never "screamed" Desiree's name at the end of the trio. I've seen him 9 times. And I quite like the crotch grab.
Updated On: 9/22/10 at 12:20 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:44pm

Wasn't Bohmer originally on the short list to play Carl-Magnus, but chose to do RAGTIME instead? I assume he'll be understudying Carl-Magnus now. I'd love to see him in that role--or even Fredrik.

Who is going to be the new Fredrik understudy? Ben Davis?

[Scripps2]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:45pm

"Will he sit bolt upright and scream DESIREE!!! and grab his crotch at the end of Now/Soon/Later the way Hanson did?"

I struggle to believe this is the same production I saw in London.

[Pianist3912]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:46pm

I've never seen him scream it or grab his crotch.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:47pm

Ron Bohmer was also mistakenly put on Telecharge's cast last for the show when they started selling tickets last year. So it's all quite funny.

And yes, Ben Davis has been understudying Fredrik and Carl-Magnus since he joined the cast. At one point Bradley Dean was also a Fredrik cover, though he isn't credited it for it anymore since he took over as Carl-Magnus.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:48pm

^Neither did I, and I saw him 4 times.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:48pm

He NEVER screamed her name. But yes he grabs his crotch. It's funny and sexy. It's more of a recent thing he does.

Updated On: 9/22/10 at 12:48 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 12:53pm

I believe Stephen is a very handsome 39 or 40.
With the greying hair and beard he can appear slightly older and Man Candy for Bernadette.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 1:14pm

I stand corrected.

He does not scream. Hard to find a word for it, shall we say he bellows it? Says it loud and clear, in a way not really believable from someone supposedly dropping off to sleep?

I can confirm the crotch grab. He even arched his back when he did it the second time I saw it. Really classy move.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 1:24pm

When I saw him he gave the impression he was having a wet dream.

Which seems perfectly reasonable to me, since that is obviously what Fredrik was experiencing. Most other Fredriks have given the impression they were greeting a maiden aunt for afternoon tea.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 1:26pm

Hmm, strange that I never noticed the crotch grab, then...

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 1:40pm

The last time I saw the show, Hanson mimed kissing as well after saying "Desiree".

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 1:43pm

Yes, now I remember the kissing, but I still don't recall any crotch action...

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:21pm

I remember Hanson's crotch grab very well. I found it quite disturbing and odd.

I saw Buntrock in the part as well and thought that he was far superior to Hanson, both in his acting and in his singing.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:36pm

Hanson definitely grabs his crotch and mimes the kissing. I'm not a huge fan of the crotch grab (it seems rather crude to me), but I like the kissing gesture. I think there's better ways to show the audience he's having a wet dream (which he very obviously is at that moment) than grabbing at his crotch.

[aliceripleystheshiz]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 3:29pm

"Will he sit bolt upright and scream DESIREE!!! and grab his crotch at the end of Now/Soon/Later the way Hanson did?"

Ive seen both, and when I saw Hanson he merely pursed his lips...Buntrock was great in the role, and what he did was stick his tongue out and whip it around, and it was perfectly hilarious. Hanson got less of a laugh.

Buntrock had great chemistry with Zeta-Jones, but Ive yet to comment on him and Bernadette. I LOVEDDD Buntrock's Fredrik though, and he looked fine for age, and with Bernadette looking like shes 35, he'll still look fine.