Whitney Leavitt is still getting words of wisdom from Dancing With the Stars partner Mark Ballas as she prepares to make her Broadway debut.
“Mark’s done Broadway. He’s done multiple shows. He is gearing me up,” Leavitt, 32, told Us Weekly exclusively while attending the 20th anniversary celebration of L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Tuesday, December 2. (The event honored this year’s 10 Women of Worth honorees and celebrated two decades of spotlighting impactful female changemakers across the country.)
Leavitt continued, “He’s like, ‘Get ready.’ Like, ‘You think Dancing With the Stars was hard? Singing, dancing, acting, it’s a whole different ballgame.’ So I’m just trying to mentally prepare for that, take it all in, because I’ve never done it before. But I’m gonna give it my all.”
News broke on Monday, December 1, that Leavitt is heading to Broadway next year following her run on DWTS season 33. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star will play the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago from February 2 to March 15.
“It still feels like I’m dreaming,” Leavitt told Us on Tuesday of her new gig. “I feel like pinching myself because this is something I’ve always wanted to do, so the fact that it’s actually happening, it just feels very surreal.”
As for any worries that her singing talents might not be up to snuff, Leavitt reassured Us that she wouldn’t have gotten the role if that were the case.
“I had to audition in front of everyone, you have to sing, you have to dance, you have to act,” she explained. “So obviously they liked my singing.”
Along with Ballas, 39, Leavitt has the support of her Mormon Wives costars on her new journey — despite any tension fans may have seen between the women on season 3 of the Hulu series.
“They’ve already bought tickets to opening night,” Leavitt told Us. “I’m pretty sure all of them are going to be there on opening night. So [I’m] just very, very grateful.”
Many of the MomTok influencers voiced their excitement for Leavitt in the comments section of her Instagram post announcing her Broadway debut on Monday. “So incredible I cannot wait to watch 😍🔥,” Mayci Neeley gushed, as Mikayla Matthews added, “🔥 brb booking my flight to New York.”
In a follow-up video, Leavitt shared a glimpse of herself running through Times Square in New York City, landing at the Chicago marquee.
“My heart is so full right now 🥹 seeing you all book tickets and make the journey to see @chicagomusical …it means the world to me! I’m gunna give it my all! Can’t wait to see and hug you in the Big Apple 😝🗽 xx Roxie Hart,” she captioned the post.
Leavitt showcased her dance talents alongside Ballas on season 34 of DWTS, which came to an end last month. Leavitt and Ballas were eliminated during the semi-finals, one week before Robert Irwin and Witney Carson were crowned the latest mirrorball champions.
“I never thought I was winning Dancing With the Stars. I really didn’t … But I wanted that experience,” Leavitt said while appearing on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast with Ballas last month. “And I would hope that anyone that had a dream or something that they want in their life or [to] experience … would go after it.”
The duo faced intense scrutiny online throughout the season — with some fans even arguing there was favoritism toward Ballas — which they candidly addressed during their interview.
“I’ve experienced it for years,” Leavitt claimed. “But I think, like, what was a little bit triggering was watching someone experience that for the first time for something, for what? Like, it just it made no sense to me. And then, I also at times felt like it was my fault because I was like, ‘Oh, like, maybe … it’s because of me, maybe it’s because [Mark is] partnered with me.’ So then, it felt like my fault. Like, it was just like a roller-coaster of emotions like during that time.”
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