Ashley Brown to Hit the Road in Mary Poppins

Ashley Brown, Broadway's original Mary Poppins, will give the rest of America a chance to see her stage magic next year. Brown has signed on to star in the national tour of Mary Poppins, which begins on March 25, 2009, at Chicago's Cadillac Theatre before setting up shop in St. Louis' Fox Theatre from August 13 through 30. No word on who will assume the title role in the Broadway production or exactly when Brown will depart.

Brown starred as Belle in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast and toured in Disney's On the Record. Other professional stage credits include Guys and Dolls, Meet Me in St. Louis, Crazy for You and Side by Side with Sondheim. She received Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award nominations for her performance in Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins opened on Broadway on November 16, 2006, and continues its run at the New Amsterdam Theatre, directed by Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne.