Summary (tl;dr)

Reality TV personality and "Dancing With the Stars" semi-finalist Whitney Leavitt is trending following the announcement of her upcoming Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the long-running musical "Chicago."

Essential Background

"Chicago" is a highly acclaimed and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, renowned for its captivating story of murder, media, and celebrity in the 1920s. The character of Roxie Hart is a central figure, a manipulative showgirl who achieves notoriety after murdering her lover. Whitney Leavitt gained public recognition from the reality series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" and most recently appeared as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" (DWTS).

The Full Story

Whitney Leavitt is set to make her Broadway debut in the iconic role of Roxie Hart in "Chicago" for a six-week limited engagement. Her run will begin on Monday, February 2, 2026, and conclude on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City. This casting comes shortly after her controversial elimination from season 34 of "Dancing With the Stars," which many observers believe was influenced more by social media backlash related to her reality-TV past than her dancing abilities. Leavitt herself announced the news on Instagram, expressing her gratitude for joining the musical.

Why It Matters

Leavitt's casting as Roxie Hart is generating significant buzz, partly due to her substantial social media following and her recent, much-discussed exit from "Dancing With the Stars." This move continues a trend of bringing reality TV and social media stars to Broadway, a strategy that often attracts new audiences to live theater. Her previous "Dancing With the Stars" performance of an Argentine Tango to "Cell Block Tango," an iconic "Chicago" number, had already led to fan speculation about her potential Broadway future, adding to the current interest.

Geographic Location

• Ambassador Theatre, New York City, New York, United States (Whitney Leavitt's Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in "Chicago")