Two Dancing With the Stars favorites are trading the ballroom for Broadway in a story of persistence that's straight out of a musical script. Whitney Leavitt, fresh off her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart on February 2, is about to get some familiar company as Mark Ballas joins the Chicago revival cast as Billy Flynn.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas. Emilio Madrid
But here's the kicker: Ballas' journey to this moment reads like a Broadway plot twist. "One of the first shows I auditioned for after graduating musical theatre college was for the ensemble of Chicago in the West End in London," Ballas revealed. "After many callbacks, and making it to the final call, I didn't end up booking the gig."
That rejection came when Ballas was just 19 years old. "I was new to the industry, learning how to pay my dues, accept rejection, and be told no," he continued. "Twenty years later, I'm making my return to Broadway as Billy Flynn. This will now be my 3rd Broadway show that I have had the pleasure to be a part of... Hard work, persistence, dedication to the craft, and relentlessness really do pay off."
Mark Ballas performing with Whitney Leavitt on 'Dancing With the Stars'. Eric McCandless/Disney/Getty
The Chicago revival - featuring music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb - isn't just any Broadway show. It's the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, having initially opened in 1996. The current cast features Leavitt as Roxie, Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma, and now Ballas taking over as Billy Flynn.
For Ballas, this marks a triumphant return to the Great White Way after previous appearances in Jersey Boys and Kinky Boots. But more importantly, it represents a full-circle moment two decades in the making - proving that sometimes the best Broadway stories happen offstage.
