Brad Oscar (born September 22, 1964) is an American musical theatre actor, known for his Broadway performances in musicals such as The Producers, Something Rotten!, Big Fish, Spamalot, The Addams Family, Mrs. Doubtfire and Wicked.

Brad Oscar
Oscar in 2011
Born (1964-09-22) September 22, 1964 (age 60)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma materBoston University
OccupationActor
Years active1990–present
Spouse
Diego Prieto
(m. 2012)

He has earned two Tony Award nominations: one for The Producers as Franz Liebkind, and one for Something Rotten! as Thomas Nostradamus. He starred in the Off-Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2017 as Beadle Bamford and as Mr. Mushnik in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors from 2022 to 2024.

Career

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Oscar graduated with a BFA from the Boston University College of Fine Arts in 1986 and was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006.[1]

Oscar's Broadway debut was in the 1990 musical Aspects of Love as a swing. His next roles were in Jekyll and Hyde, as Sir Peter, Archibald Proops, Barrow Boy, and Second Gentleman in both the 1995 tour and the 1997 Broadway show.

His performance, however, in The Producers garnered him the most acclaim. Oscar started out as Franz Liebkind, and was also understudy for Max Bialystock (one of the lead roles) and Roger De Bris. The role of Franz earned Oscar a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, but lost to his co-star Gary Beach. After this success, he replaced Nathan Lane as Bialystock.[2] In 2007, he originated the Bialystock role in the Las Vegas production at the Paris Hotel and Casino.

He has appeared in several productions at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. In 2005 he played "The Devil" (Mr. Applegate) in Damn Yankees, and in October 2006 he played "The Master of Ceremonies" in Cabaret.[3] He played multiple roles, including "Lady Enid", in The Mystery of Irma Vep from June 2008 through July 13, 2008.[4]

Oscar's other regional work includes the title role in the musical Barnum, at the Asolo Repertory Theatre (Florida), from November 12 through December 20, 2008.[5] In recent years, Brad and his sister, Victoria Oscar, have served as the official Santa and Mrs. Claus for the annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Program.

Oscar took over the role of "Uncle Fester" (from Kevin Chamberlin) in The Addams Family on Broadway starting March 8, 2011.[6]

He originated the role of Thomas Nostradamus in the musical Something Rotten!, which opened on Broadway in April 2015, for which he earned a 2015 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical,[7] which went to his co-star Christian Borle. He stayed with the production until its closing in January 2017.[8]

He played the role of Beadle Bamford in the Tooting Arts Club production of Sweeney Todd at the Off-Broadway Barrow Street Theatre.[9]

Personal life

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Oscar and Diego Prieto, an actor, were married on April 16, 2012, in a ceremony at the Arena Stage, where they met during the 2005 production of Damn Yankees, with Molly Smith officiating.[10]

Credits

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Theatre

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Year Show Role Notes
1985 Merrily We Roll Along Joseph Josephson Keene Summer Theatre
1990 Aspects of Love Swing Broadway
April 8, 1990 – March 2, 1991
1992 Forbidden Broadway Performer Off-Broadway
1993
1994
1997-01 Jekyll & Hyde Right Honorable Archibald Proops

Second Gentleman
Sir Peter
Barrow Boy

Poole (u/s)

Broadway
April 28, 1997 – January 7, 2001
1999 Do Re Mi M.C.
Singer
Encores!
2001 Dreamgirls Film Executive Actors Fund Benefit Concert
2001-02 The Producers Franz Liebkind

Max Bialystock (u/s)
Roger De Bris (u/s)

Broadway
April 19, 2001 – April 15, 2002
2002 Funny Girl Paul Actors Fund Benefit Concert
2002-03 The Producers Max Bialystock Broadway
April 16, 2002 – April 27, 2003
2003 National Tour
Jun 17 – November 23, 2003
2003-04 Max Bialystock (s/b) Broadway
December 30, 2003 – April 4, 2004
2004 Max Bialystock Broadway
April 6, 2004 – December 12, 2004
2005 West End
Jan 10 – April 23, 2005
Broadway
Jul 5 – October 31, 2005
2005 On the Twentieth Century Oliver Webb Actors Fund Benefit Concert
Damn Yankees Mr. Applegate Arena Stage
2006 Cabaret The Emcee Arena Stage
Oct. 2006
2007 The Producers Max Bialystock Paris Casino
2007-09 Spamalot Sir Bedevere
Concorde
Dennis's Mother
Broadway
December 18, 2007 – January 11, 2009
2008 The Mystery of Irma Vep Lady Enid Arena Stage
June/July 2008
Barnum Barnum Asolo Repertory Theatre
Nov 12 – December 20, 2008
2009-10 Young Frankenstein Inspector Kemp

Blind Hermit

National Tour
2010 The Producers Max Bialystock Kansas City Starlight Theatre
2011 The Addams Family Uncle Fester Broadway
Mar 7 – December 31, 2011
2012 Fiddler on the Roof Tevye Barrington Stage Company
2013 Nice Work If You Can Get It Cookie McGee Broadway
Jan 8 – March 3, 2013
Big Fish Amos Calloway Pre-Broadway
Broadway
Oct 6 – December 29, 2013
2014 The Phantom of the Opera Monsieur Richard Firmin National Tour
Join cast Apr 7
2015-17 Something Rotten! Thomas Nostradamus Broadway
April 22, 2015 – January 1, 2017
2015 Annie Get Your Gun Charlie Encores!
2017 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Beadle Bamford Barrow Street Theatre
March 4, 2017 – August 27, 2017
2019 Mrs. Doubtfire Frank Hillard 5th Avenue Theatre
2020 Broadway
Apr. 2020, October 21, 2021 – May 29, 2022[11]
2021-22
2022-23 Little Shop of Horrors Mr. Mushnik Off-Broadway
September 27, 2022 - April 30, 2023
2023 Oliver! Mr. Bumble Encores!
May 3–14, 2023
2023-24 Little Shop of Horrors Mr. Mushnik Off-Broadway
May 16, 2023 - January 14, 2024
2024-25 Wicked The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Broadway
March 5-present
2024 Sinatra: The Musical George Evans Apollo Theatre
November 21, 2024

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 The Producers Cab Driver
2008 Old Days Louis short
Ghost Town Day Doorman
2014 Russian Broadway Shutdown Russian IOC Representative short

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Law & Order Paul 1 episode
2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Mitch 1 episode
2011 The Good Wife Eric Atkins 1 episode
Submissions Only Bill Hobbs 1 episode
Outside the Box Norman Bates short
2012 Smash Peter 1 episode

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee Result
2001 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical The Producers Nominated
2015 Something Rotten! Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Boston University College of Fine Arts Presents 2006 Distinguished Alumni Awards". Boston University. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  2. ^ Jones, Kenneth (August 31, 2005). "Brad Oscar Bites Into Bialy for 1,000th Time Sept. 1". Playbill. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  3. ^ Jones, Kenneth (September 8, 2006). "Arena Stage Welcomes Brad Oscar, Walter Charles, Meg Gillentine, Dorothy Stanley to Cabaret". Playbill. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  4. ^ "The Mystery of Irma Vep". Arena Stage. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008.
  5. ^ Jones, Kenneth (October 29, 2008). "Braga, Kraft, Cotton, Walton, Brna and More Will Join Brad Oscar in Asolo's Barnum". Playbill. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  6. ^ Healy, Patrick (October 28, 2010). "Roger Rees to Replace Nathan Lane in 'The Addams Family'". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Hetrick, Adam (March 23, 2015). "Something Rotten! Puts a Shakespearean Twist On Broadway Musical Comedy, Starting Tonight". Playbill.
  8. ^ Gans, Andrew (September 15, 2016). "Something Rotten! Sets Closing Date on Broadway". Playbill.
  9. ^ "BWW TV Exclusive: Attend the Tale of Opening Night! SWEENEY TODD Returns to NYC". BroadwayWorld. March 5, 2017.
  10. ^ "Diego Prieto and Brad Oscar". The New York Times. April 22, 2012. ISSN 0362-4331.
  11. ^ Harms, Talaura (September 20, 2021). "Full Cast Announced for Broadway Return of Mrs. Doubtfire Musical". Playbill. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
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