Whitney Leavitt is buying and selling actuality TV phases for probably the most legendary spotlights in leisure. The “Dancing with the Stars” season 34 semi-finalist, who additionally stars in Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” is formally heading to Broadway, marking her skilled theater debut within the iconic musical “Chicago.” Leavitt will tackle the position of Roxie Hart, a personality rooted in ambition, notoriety, and show-stopping glamour. Her six-week restricted engagement begins February 2, 2026, on the Ambassador Theatre in New York Metropolis, working by means of March 15. The Utah-based millennial mother of three constructed an enormous on-line following because of her energetic dance movies, comedic household content material, and magnetic persona. On “DWTS,” she and accomplice Mark Ballas earned reward for his or her Argentine Tango to “Cell Block Tango,” a full-circle second now that she’s moving into the world of “Chicago” for actual.

Coming into its twenty ninth yr on Broadway, “Chicago” stays the longest-running American musical in historical past. Created by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, the present follows Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two murderesses who use their crimes to catapult themselves into Vaudeville fame. The musical’s celebrated rating contains iconic numbers like“All That Jazz,” “Roxie,” “Razzle Dazzle,” and “When You’re Good to Momma.”

Since its authentic 1975 manufacturing starring Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera, “Chicago” has change into a staple of American theater. Its 1996 revival gained six Tony Awards, and the beloved 2002 movie adaptation earned the Academy Award for Greatest Image. Now, Whitney Leavitt turns into the newest performer to affix the franchise’s storied legacy.

Leavitt’s Broadway announcement comes shortly after her “DWTS” journey ended within the semifinals. Although eradicated earlier than the finale, she and Ballas gave followers the freestyle they’d been begging for on Alex Cooper’s “Name Her Daddy” podcast.

In the course of the emotional section, the pair carried out their deliberate finale routine to a canopy of “My Approach,” full with outfit adjustments, faux blood, and symbolism reflecting the extreme on-line hate they endured all through the season. Ballas even learn among the surprising messages he obtained, revealing simply how excessive social media vitriol had change into throughout their run. Leavitt admitted she has change into “extra desensitized” through the years, however shared that watching Ballas obtain such venom for the primary time was tough.

She additionally revealed moments of guilt, questioning if the hate directed at Ballas was “as a result of he’s partnered with me,” describing the expertise as “a curler coaster of feelings.” Regardless of the backlash, the efficiency, and the choice to share it with followers, despatched the sturdy message that she’s not performed dancing, not performed performing, and never backing down.

“Dancing With the Stars” choose Carrie Ann Inaba is publicly defending Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas after witnessing the extreme wave of on-line harassment the pair confronted all through season 34. Inaba spoke out immediately within the feedback of Ballas’ Instagram publish, which featured pictures from the highly effective freestyle routine he and Leavitt carried out on Alex Cooper’s “Name Her Daddy” podcast after their semifinal elimination.

In her message, Inaba praised the efficiency as “absolute brilliance” and highlighted how the duo used their freestyle as a car to deal with the hate they endured. She famous that the partnership allowed each dancers to push creatively with out holding again and described the routine as each cathartic and “therapeutic to look at.”

Inaba additionally acknowledged the emotional toll the backlash took on them, admitting that it “broke my coronary heart” to learn the feedback aimed on the pair. She addressed accusations of favoritism that circulated throughout the season, explaining how such claims undermine the dancers’ onerous work and dedication. Her hope, she added, is that conversations surrounding social media conduct and parasocial assaults will evolve, and that press protection could change into “much less salacious” sooner or later.

Inaba’s highly effective message not solely validated the emotional weight Leavitt and Ballas carried but in addition underscored how their freestyle turned a defining assertion of the season, one which turned ache into function. And whereas the pair used their artwork to confront the darkest facet of social media, Leavitt herself is moving into a brand new chapter that shines even brighter.