Whitney Leavitt Joins Broadway’s Chicago as Roxie Hart in 2026: Reality TV Star Makes Debut at Ambassador Theatre

The spotlight on Roxie Hart just got a fresh jolt of star power. Today, producers of Broadway’s long-running revival of Chicago announced that reality TV personality and social media standout Whitney Leavitt will join the show to play Roxie at New York’s Ambassador Theatre. The casting makes official what had been fan speculation since Leavitt’s recent stint on Dancing with the Stars, where she performed Fosse-inspired choreography and drew notice from Broadway insiders.

Leavitt, best known for Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, will make her professional theater and Broadway debut with this role, underscoring how the production continues to tap performers with major TV and digital followings. Producers confirmed that she begins performances as Roxie Hart on February 2, 2026, for a limited six-week engagement running through March 15. That winter window positions her squarely in the heart of the tourist-heavy season, when Chicago routinely pulls strong box office numbers as Broadway’s longest-running American musical.

The casting aligns with a broader strategy that has kept Chicago culturally relevant nearly three decades into its revival run. The show has long rotated in starry Roxies—from pop singers to TV actors—and Leavitt’s move from reality series to the Cook County Jail cell block is the latest example. Broadway-focused outlets note that she first caught producers’ attention as a semifinalist on Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, where her comfort with live performance and stylized dance suggested a natural fit for Fosse’s razor-sharp aesthetic.

Today’s announcement also lands at a moment when Chicago is emphasizing its enduring brand. The production recently passed the 10,000-performance milestone and continues to advertise its signature story of media-fueled celebrity criminals, with Roxie Hart at the center of the show’s commentary on fame, spin, and second chances. Booking Leavitt—who built a large online following documenting family life before transitioning to national television—adds a modern layer to that theme, blurring the line between social media star and Broadway leading lady.

For fans of Chicago, Leavitt’s run means a new take on one of musical theater’s most coveted roles. Her arrival will follow the current Roxie, Broadway veteran Kate Baldwin, and comes as the production continues to refresh its cast around the core creative team and Kander and Ebb’s jazz-age score. Whether Leavitt’s performance leads to more reality and influencer crossovers on Broadway remains to be seen, but as of today, one thing is certain: in 2026, all that jazz will belong to a brand-new Roxie Hart.