Opening May 1, Natalie Erskine, Russell Boyle, and Brooklyn Brown will perform in “A Little Night Music” at Birmingham Village Players.
By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published April 20, 2026
BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Village Players will bring humor to the stage with their production of “A Little Night Music,” opening May 1. The musical features a score by Stephen Sondheim.
Set in Sweden around the turn of the century, “A Little Night Music” is a romantic comedy.
Russell Boyle, from Detroit, who plays Fredrik Egerman, said, “It’s a tangled web. Nothing is simple and nothing is as it seems in this show, which is why I really like it.”
The character Egerman is a lawyer married to an 18-year-old woman. He also has a son from his previous marriage.
“I wanted this role really badly, because I often get cast as over-the-top, character-driven roles, and this guy is much more of a gentleman, so I have to be a little bit more internal. I have to internalize myself and be a little bit more still than I normally am,” Boyle said.
Natalie Erskine, from Birmingham, who plays Desiree Armfeldt, said, “At its core, it’s a story about love and how complicated and messy it is, but that ultimately is all just still love, and it’s never too late to try to have it in your life.”
Erskine, who used to be a professional actress, recently returned to the stage after a 24-year hiatus. This is her first time performing with the Birmingham Village Players as she takes on the role of Desiree.
“As an adult, it’s sometimes really hard to meet new friends when you are caught in the day-to-day, and being at the Village Players has given me an opportunity to really get out of my shell and meet people and have a lot of fun,” Erskine said.
Since the show is a comedy, Erskine shared her experience with stepping into a show with a cast and crew she has not worked with before.
“I would say, if given the choice, I would much prefer to do a comedy. It’s just so fun to participate in that and have that light-hearted spirit coming into the show and working with people that you may have not met before,” Erskine said. “Being in a comedy makes everything a little bit easier.”
She said she finds Desiree to be a relatable character. Erskine describes Desiree as a middle-aged actress at the very end of her career who is “very self-aware, witty, a little guarded and jaded from life in the theater.” However, she adds that she is someone who “loves deeply.”
The community can see the show May 1-17 at Birmingham Village Players. The shows on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased by calling the box office at (248) 644-2075. Tickets can also be purchased at birminghamvillageplayers.com.