Mark Ballas opens his Chicago run on Broadway
Mark Ballas, the professional dancer known for Dancing with the Stars, begins performances as Billy Flynn in the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Chicago on July 20 at the Ambassador Theatre. The engagement is scheduled as a four-week limited run, continuing through August 16. Eddie Cooper also joins the production on the same date, stepping into the role of Amos Hart alongside Ballas in the new casting arrangement.
Ballas's dance credentials and prior Broadway work
Ballas is an 11-time finalist and three-time champion on Dancing with the Stars, and he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography during his tenure on the show. Outside of competition television, he appeared as a cast member on season four of Peacock's reality series The Traitors US. His Broadway history includes a 2016 debut in Jersey Boys, in which he played the final Frankie Valli, as well as the role of Charlie Price in Kinky Boots on Broadway in 2019. He also performed Jersey Boys on the national tour and at The Muny Theatre in St. Louis.
The current Chicago company and incoming change
Ballas and Cooper join existing Chicago cast members Krysta Rodriguez as Roxie Hart, Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Jacqueline B. Arnold as Matron "Mama" Morton, and J. Workman as Mary Sunshine. The long-running revival is set to see another casting shift on August 17, when South Korean pop star Ivy takes over the role of Roxie Hart from Rodriguez, extending the show's run of celebrity-led guest turns.
Related Dancing with the Stars developments
In related franchise activity, ABC's Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro premiered on July 13, introducing 12 professional dancers competing for a place on Dancing with the Stars season 35. Mark Ballas and his mother, judge Shirley Ballas, sit on the judging panel, with season 34 winner Robert Irwin serving as host, and the premiere featured six-time Mirrorball champion Derek Hough as the first guest judge and mentor. The opening episode ended with a double elimination of Briar Nolet and Jake Monreal. On the UK side, BBC's Strictly Come Dancing has reportedly identified Gladiators star Mark Clattenburg as a target for its upcoming line-up, though the BBC has declined to comment on the speculation. Confirmed contestants so far include Love Island's Dani Dyer, fellow Love Island winner Cach Mercer, Big Brother host Will Best, Eurovision's Delta Goodrem, hairdresser Chris Appleton, EastEnders star Lacey Turner, and Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey.
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