Aaron Lazar

Last updated
Aaron Lazar
Born
Aaron Scott Lazar

(1976-06-21) June 21, 1976 (age 48)
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, U.S.
Education Duke University (BA)
University of Cincinnati (MFA)
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active2000–present
Spouse
LeAnn Garris
​
​
(m. 2004;div. 2018)​
Children2
Website www.aaronlazar.com

Aaron Scott Lazar (born June 21, 1976) is an American actor, singer, and entrepreneur known for his work on Broadway, television, film and concerts.

Contents

In August 2024, Lazar released an album titled, Impossible Dream , featuring a cover of the song of the same name. The cover of the song was in a We Are the World style recording featuring solos by Josh Groban, Loren Allred, Sting, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Norm Lewis, Kristin Chenoweth, Leslie Odom Jr, Lin Manuel Miranda, Neil Patrick Harris, and a posthumous appearance from Rebecca Luker. [1] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Classical Compendium" in November, 2024. [2]

Early life and education

Lazar was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. [3] He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West, where he performed in musicals and competed in track and field as a discus and javelin thrower. [4] He is Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah. [5] Lazar attended Duke University, where he earned a Bachelor of Art degree, magna cum laude, while completing the prerequisite classes for medical school and taking the MCAT. After being accepted at the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), he earned an MFA in musical theater. [6]

Career

Broadway and theater

Lazar's eleven Broadway and national tour credits include The Phantom of the Opera as understudy Raoul, Oklahoma! as Joe and understudy Curly, The Scarlet Pimpernel as Dewhurst and understudy Percy, Mamma Mia! as Sam, The Last Ship as Arthur, Impressionism as Ben, A Little Night Music as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, Dear Evan Hansen as Larry Murphy, Les Misérables (Drama Desk Award nominee) as Enjolras, A Tale of Two Cities as Charles, and The Light in the Piazza as Fabrizio. [7] [8] [9]

Since he started performing at age nine, Lazar has performed in more than forty professional productions including A New Brain and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at New York City Center Encores! [10] In 2007, he was Lt. Joseph Cable in South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl. In 2016, he played Franklin Shepard in a Los Angeles production of Merrily We Roll Along. He was most recently in Fun Home as Bruce at TheaterWorks Hartford and the pre-Broadway regional tryout of The Secret Garden as Dr. Neville Craven at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. [11] Lazar played Paul in the 2011 New York Philharmonic concert version of Company. He was also in Anastasia as Gleb in a 2012 workshop. [12]

Television and film

Lazar has starred in over 20 television shows including the role of Reverend Paul Thomas on Fox's Filthy Rich. [13] He's also known for roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, This Is Where I Leave You , J. Edgar , and Everything Everywhere All at Once . [14] [15]

Concert and cabaret

Lazar has performed with some of the world's top symphonies from the New York Philharmonic [16] to the NYPops at Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center, to Masada [17] as both a guest artist and soloist with his own one-man shows Broadway to Hollywood and All For You, with Tony nominee Kate Baldwin, maestro Luke Frazier, and members of the American Pops Orchestra. [18] [19] [20]

His voice can be heard on numerous Broadway and off-Broadway cast albums. [21] [22]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lazar produced the album Broadway Lullabies with a cast of Broadway friends and parents to soothe families with reimagined Broadway classics. [23]

Personal life

In 2004, he married LeAnn Garris, a model signed with Ford Models at Temple Israel, a Reform synagogue in Wilmington in North Carolina. [24] [25] [26] The couple had two boys together and divorced in 2018. [27]

In January 2024, Lazar announced that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) two years prior. [28]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005 The Notorious Bettie Page Jake
2011 Company Paul
2011 J. Edgar David T. Wilentz
2013 The Wolf of Wall Street Blair Hollingsworth
2014 This Is Where I Leave You Barry Weissman
2018 Avengers: Infinity War Doctor Strange Double
2019 Avengers: Endgame
2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once Soldier

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006 Live from Lincoln Center Fabrizio Naccarelli / SelfEpisode: "The Light in the Piazza
2008 New Amsterdam Ben RobbinsEpisode: "Horror"
2008 Ugly Betty ClaudioEpisode: "Bad Amanda"
2009 All My Children Ron Lipkin / Producer2 episodes
2009 White Collar Father D'AllesioEpisode: "Book of Hours"
2011 A Gifted Man Steve PowersEpisode: "In Case of Discomfort"
2011 Onion News Network O'Brady Shaw7 episodes
2012 Person of Interest Terrance BaxterEpisode: "Firewall"
2014 The Following Billy Boyer2 episodes
2014 The Good Wife William SattmannEpisode: "The Last Call"
2014 Blue Bloods Dr. LevinEpisode: "Righting Wrongs"
2014 The Blacklist Agent Paul SalernoEpisode: "Monarch Douglas Bank (No. 112)"
2016 Unforgettable Avra FeldEpisode: "Breathing Space"
2016 Girl Meets World Mr. Jackson2 episodes
2016 The Strain Kroft3 episodes
2016 Quantico Paul
2018 Bull Mark BurnsEpisode: "Justified"
2018 The Good Fight William SattmannEpisode: "Day 471"
2020 Filthy Rich Paul Luke Thomas10 episodes
2022 Black-ish Andrew CollinsEpisode: "That's What Friends Are For"
2022 Yellowstone Robert BaldusEpisode: "Tall Drink of Water"

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000-2001 The Scarlet Pimpernel Dewhurst

u/s Sir Percy Blakeney

US Tour
2001 Carousel Billy Bigelow North Shore Music Theatre
2001-2002 The Phantom of the Opera Fireman

u/s Raoul

 Broadway
2002-2003 Oklahoma! Joe

u/s Curly

2005 On the Town Gabey West End
2005-2006 The Light in the Piazza Fabrizio NaccarelliBroadway
2006-2007 Les Misérables Enjolras
2007 South Pacific Lieutenant Cable Hollywood Bowl
2008 A Tale of Two Cities Charles DarnayBroadway
2009 Impressionism Ben Joplin
2009-2010 A Little Night Music Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm
2011 Company Paul Avery Fisher Hall
2012 Anastasia GlebWorkshop
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Henry Spofford Off-Broadway
Encores!
2012-2014 Mamma Mia! Sam CarmichaelBroadway
2014-2015 The Last Ship Arthur Millburn
2015 A New Brain Roger Delli-BoviOff-Broadway
Encores!
2016 Merrily We Roll Along Franklin Shepard Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
2018-2019 Dear Evan Hansen Larry MurphyUS Tour
2022 The Bridges of Madison County RobertAxelrod Performing Arts Center
Fun Home Bruce TheaterWorks
2023 The Secret Garden Dr. Neville Craven Ahmanson Theatre
2025 Follies Benjamin Stone Pasadena Playhouse

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References

  1. ↑ Aaron Lazar Collaboration Album Impossible Dream Released August 23
  2. ↑ "2025 GRAMMYs: See The Full Nominations List". Grammys. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  3. ↑ "BIO". AARON LAZAR. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  4. ↑ "Cherry Hill High School West", Wikipedia, 2019-11-05, retrieved 2019-12-09
  5. ↑ Liner, Alixandra (30 September 2005). Aaron Lazar of The Light in the Piazza Broadway. Retrieved on 25 January 2025
  6. ↑ Breen, Mike. "CCM Grad and Popular Broadway Singer/Actor Aaron Lazar Using Day Off from 'Dear Evan Hansen' Touring Show for Cincinnati Concert". Cincinnati CityBeat. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  7. ↑ "Aaron Lazar – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  8. ↑ "Aaron Lazar – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  9. ↑ "Aaron Lazar – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  10. ↑ "See Jonathan Groff, Aaron Lazar, and Ana Gasteyer in Encores! A New Brain". 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  11. ↑ "The Secret Garden". Center Theatre Group. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  12. ↑ "Exclusive: Crawford, Barrett, Halston, Page Join Tveit, Lansbury, Lazar in ANASTASIA Reading!". broadwayworld.com. BroadwayWorld. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2019-09-13). "'Filthy Rich': Aaron Lazar Cast In New Fox Series As Steven Pasquale Departs". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  14. ↑ "Aaron Lazar". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  15. ↑ "'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Cast Celebrates James Hong With SAG Awards Win for Best Film Cast | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  16. ↑ "Aaron Lazar Photos on BroadwayWorld.com - Page 23". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  17. ↑ Gans, Andrew (2007-04-18). "Lazar to Be Part of Masada and South Pacific Concerts". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  18. ↑ Quintos, Michael. "BWW Review: Aaron Lazar Presents BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD at OC's Segerstrom Center". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  19. ↑ "All For You". www.theamericanpops.org. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  20. ↑ "Review: Kate Baldwin & Aaron Lazar: All for You at 54 Below". Exeunt Magazine NYC. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  21. ↑ "Amazon.com". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  22. ↑ "CONCERTS". AARON LAZAR. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  23. ↑ Broadway Lullabies by Various Artists, 2020-12-04, retrieved 2023-05-04
  24. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/fashion/weddings/leann-garris-aaron-lazar.html LeAnn Garris, Aaron Lazar] The New York Times. 7 November 2004
  25. ↑ Ballard, Allison (9 November 2004). Eating happily ever after on The Food Network Star News. Retrieved on 25 January 2025
  26. ↑ Vermeer, John (September 2015). Aaron & LeAnn Lazar: Endless Summer Broadway Style Guide. Retrieved on 25 January 2025
  27. ↑ Gladstone, Jim (December 5, 2018). "Aaron Lazar: playing Dad". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  28. ↑ King, Darryn (January 3, 2024). "Actor Aaron Lazar Shares His A.L.S. Journey: 'I'm Going to Heal'". Broadway Across Canada . Retrieved 10 January 2024.
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