West End's Blood Brothers, Mary Poppins and Chicago Announce April Cast Changes

A number of West End musicals have announced starry cast changes. British pop star Antony Costa will join the cast of Blood Brothers, musical theatre veterans Louise Gold and Diane Langton will step into Mary Poppins, and Amra-Faye Wright and Luca Barbareschi will be welcomed into the cast of Chicago.

Costa, a former member of the boyband Blue who has been seen on BBC series such as "Grange Hill" and "Chalk," will join Blood Brothers on April 10th, according to Whatsonstage.com. He will play Mickey, the more rebellious of Mrs. Johnstone's twin sons--one of whom is given away at birth. Blood Brothers, with Maureen Nolan, Mark Hutchinson and Vivienne Carlyle also leading the cast--is booking at the Albery Theatre through January of 2007. The musical, which is directed by Bob Thomson, features a book, music and lyrics by Willy Russell.

Louise Gold will step into the role of Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins on April 10th, while Langton will begin performances as the Bird Woman on the same day. Gold--whose West End credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Noises Off and Mamma Mia!--will succeed Rosemary Ashe in the role, and Langton, who has been seen in musicals such as Follies and Chicago, will succeed Julia Sutton. Mary Poppins, directed by Richard Eyre and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, is based on the classic Disney film about a nanny who descends from the sky to enter the lives of the Banks family. Currently playing the Prince Edward Theatre, Mary Poppins also features Scarlett Strallen in the title role, as well as Gavin Lee, Aden Gillett, and Eliza Lumley.

Joining the cast of Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre on April 18th will be Wright--who currently plays Velma in the Broadway production of the revival and will take on the same role on the West End--and Barbareschi as Billy Flynn, the role he played in the Italian tour of Chicago. Brenda Edwards will also join the cast that day. They join Bonnie Langford as Roxie in the revival, which shares the same creative team as the Broadway production--with direction by Walter Bobbie and choreography by Ann Reinking (based on the original of Bob Fosse). Chicago, a dark vaudeville about two homicidal chorines, features a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Fosse.

On April 22nd, Chicago will end its run at the Adelphi Theatre (where Evita will next play) and move to the Cambridge Theatre.

For ticket information, visit www.whatsonstage.com.