Whitney Leavitt is making Roxie Hart part of history, breaking the record for highest-grossing ticket sales in 'Chicago's' 29 year run.
seemed like a natural fit for the role. With her sometimes contentious castmate relationships and her shameless desire to use the show as a launching pad for her career, viewers were immediately skeptical of the 32-year-old influencer.
But after a brief hiatus from the show, Leavitt returned with a newfound confidence, and a new goal: to land a spot on. It worked, and by the time she hit the stage with longtime pro Mark Ballas, viewers were ready for her redemption arc. Now, the influencer has become a fan favorite, and a bonafide Broadway star. As Roxie Hart in, Leavitt has made musical theater history, breaking the record for highest-grossing ticket sales in the show’s 29 year run. In the wake of that excitement, we got on the phone with the mom of three to talk tattoos, career aspirations, and whether we’ll get to see the recentWHITNEY LEAVITT: Thank you so much. I still have this sticker from the tattoo that I got in honor of breakingLEAVITT: I have one on my lip, but that’s different. I’m saying it’s my first. Connor drew it.LEAVITT: I couldn’t be more grateful, because I was very intimidated stepping into this role. I’d never done something like this and the cast, the crew, the management—they all gave me the confidence that I really needed. We went out and celebrated together because it’s a win for all of us. All of us hold that title. WEISS: Obviously you have a dance background and you’re a natural performer, but Broadway is something totally different. How did you prepare yourself? LEAVITT: I was really nervous, but this is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I love the entertainment industry, and you’ve got to start somewhere. WEISS: When most people say, “You’ve got to start somewhere,” it’s like a local church production. Not Broadway. LEAVITT: Right. I guess just for me, in the situation I was in, being on reality TV, people have so many opinions. I was just worried, like, “What if people don’t enjoy it?WEISS: With Roxie specifically, you’re the latest in a long line of non-traditional casting, specifically from reality TV. How did it feel coming into it with that context? LEAVITT: There were a lot of big shoes to fill. Ariana gave me some good advice, because you’re really just thrown into it. She said it’s important to be surrounded by people who support you, and know what they’re doing. WEISS: Coming from reality TV, you are used to playing yourself. There are orchestrated situations you might not normally be in, but you are stillLEAVITT: The thing is, Roxie knows what she wants, and I can relate to that. I don’t love how she went about it, but she knew what she wanted and she didn’t feel shame. I can relate to the sense of “This is what I want. I want to be a star.” WEISS: Roxie Hart is probably one of the biggest anti-heroines in musical theater history. And from your first few seasons onLEAVITT: There’s just only so much that you see in somebody’s life when we’re talking about reality TV. WEISS: How did the other Mormon Wives react to you getting the role? I’m thinking specifically about that conversation with Jen . LEAVITT: I felt supported. I felt loved. They all came on opening night. And as far as the conversation with Jen, that wasn’t the main point. It wasn’t just one thing with her.LEAVITT: Yeah, and we’ve been doing this together for years, so that was just the tipping point for me. I was just like, “We’re not friends? What are you talking about?” But regardless of all that, every single one of those women are mothers. They’re businesswomen. They all have their own lives. So for them to have found sitters for their kids, gotten a flight to New York, booked places to stay, and come to the show—that meant more to me than I think they’ll ever know.LEAVITT: I think it’s just the schedule, really. I wasn’t used to being away from my kids that much, so that was probably the biggest adjustment. Even now, with rehearsals and press and then actually doing Broadway, we’re figuring it out in real time. WEISS: The reality show schedule in some ways is probably more grueling because you have cameras up all the time, but in other ways, you’re just being yourself and living your life., you’re rehearsing four to five hours a day, and when you come home, you’re just exhausted. Whereas with, they’re just following what you’re actually doing in a day. I can bring my kids with me. I tell Connor literally every day, none of this would be possible if I didn’t have him. I couldn’t be more grateful.LEAVITT: It strengthened a lot. I love my relationship and it’s exciting. Our dynamics change all the time. He was the breadwinner, and then I was, and then he was again, and now I am again. Connor’s writing a book right now, so that could change the dynamic again, but we just remind each other that we’re a team and we’ll take it one day at a time.. Obviously there’s a lot going on with the show right now, how are you feeling? LEAVITT: I have a lot of emotions about it and I’m still processing everything that’s happening, but the safety of human beings, especially children, comes first. Always, period, the end. And I don’t want that to be tolerated. I don’t want that to be overlooked. It’s just so fresh. That’s all I have to say about that. WEISS: Thank you. What I was going to ask was – since the show follows you around everyday, will we get to see the making ofLEAVITT: There’s a lot of union laws, so there’s not a lot of behind the scenes that you’ll see, but you will see all the girls coming out for opening night, which I think will be really cool., are you going to keep doing reality TV as you get other career opportunities? LEAVITT: There have been some talks of other Broadway shows, but I want to focus on the scripted space. I really enjoy it. I literally just filmed an audition for a show on Netflix right before our interview. I’m grinding. I send in an audition almost every day. It’s a very competitive space, but I want to put in the work. And I want to show people that I’m putting in the work. This is what I really want. But never say never. I love stuff likeWEISS: On the show, you were super upfront about the fact that you were using it as an opportunity to help grow your career. And the other women, and the public, were pretty critical of you for being honest about that. Now that you were actually able to be onLEAVITT: It’s definitely validating. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it feels good. I always feel every season that there’s so much more to the story, and I would assume all the women would probably say the same. But that’s what you sign up for, and I had accepted that. Once I accepted it, and once I started to let that go, I feel like people started to see who I actually am as a person.LEAVITT: I had a seance in my room . But yeah, absolutely. That’s something that I love about performing, when you can make it personal. I know I love watching performances where I feel like the entertainer is finding a piece of their life to express whatever it is they are doing. You really need to come see the show!LEAVITT: Because there are so many moments, and I can feel it from the audience, where they’re like, “Oh yeah, I know what she’s talking about there,” and relating it to something in my life. People feel connected to me and I love that. I love that it’s inspiring them to do what they want and to not be ashamed of saying what they want.LEAVITT: I’m so happy. I’m doing what I love, how could I not be? Oh my gosh, this is going to make me a little bit emotional. One of my favorite parts is at the very end of the show.There’s this moment where we finish our dance and the audience cheers— Oh my god, I don’t know why it’s making me so emotional. I’m sorry.LEAVITT: At the end, I get to throw these roses and that’s the first moment where I can see the audience. Just the cheering and them being excited to catch a rose—I look forward to that moment every night. I’m just so grateful.These Creators Are Getting Rich Off Reaction Content While the Rest of Us WatchThe Drita D’Avanzo Guide to Acting, Dressing, and Fighting Like a Mob WifeCandace Bushnell Is Still Playing Herself
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