Putting their best foot forward

It meant songs sung Blue and Antony Costa, member of one of the most beauteous boy bands around. Costa’s solo career brings him back to Blackpool for Save the Last Dance For Me from Tuesday to Saturday at the Opera House. The feel good juke box musical is likely to wow bank holiday visitors and locals alike. Antony admits: “It’s a brilliant show, uplifting, and I just love going on stage, being another character, rather than being known as that Antony from Blue, and living the dream.” The 35-year-old father of two is no stranger to the resort having visited for Blackpool Pride with Blue and played the Illuminations Switch-On and Lytham Proms. He was last here, in his own right, in Tommy the Rock Opera, co-starring with Joe McElderry, at the Opera House. “There’s no town like it,” he admits. “I’m really looking forward to going back.” And he stays in touch with former Blue band members Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe. “We’re still very much a closeknit family to this day.” Costa’s carved out a new following in musical theatre and is enjoying singing the songs his mum heard as a child. She was born in 1956 so grew up with this kind of music, and I was lucky because I grew up hearing all sorts of music too. “I’m a child of the 80s but the music your parents play is a massive influence too. And music like this never dies. This music is a luxury to me, stuff written before I was born, but to which I listened. People come to the show, get up,sing along, dance in the aisles, and leave with great big smiles on their faces, “The Opera House is a fantastic audience. A Blackpool audience will be well up for it on a bank holiday.” The show takes audiences back to the summer of love of ‘63 and two teenage sisters listening to the songs destined to become classics of the age - and well beyond that age - such as A Teenager in Love, Can’t Get Used to Losing You and Save the Last Dance For Me. Bill Kenwright’s production is brought by the same team behind the successful Dreamboat and Petticoats. Showtime 7.30pm with matinees 2.30pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.