Chicago’s Roxie Hart and actor Whitney Leavitt share one strong similarity: They quickly ascended from being a wife — Hart, of “just some dumb mechanic”; Leavitt, of the Mormon variety — into superstardom. But naturally, Leavitt disapproves of Hart’s method of murder to get there.
“Roxie is not afraid to say what she wants, and I can relate to that,” says Leavitt about her soon-to-be stage alter ego. “But I don’t love how she went about it, obviously.”
Leavitt, who is making her Broadway debut as Cook County Jail’s darling on February 2, has found her way into the spotlight the old-fashioned way: hard work and viral TikToks. Leavitt began filming TikTok videos during the COVID-19 pandemic and soon joined a group of fellow Mormon content-creating moms, dubbed “MomTok,” who garnered a lot of attention through viral videos (not always for positive reasons) and a swinging scandal.
MomTok became the focal point of Hulu’s reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which follows Leavitt and the other moms as they navigate Mormon culture and traditions while being ambitious women who are often the breadwinners of their families. When the first season dropped in late 2024, Leavitt became a polarizing figure for audiences, being considered both the show’s villain and a breakout star. By the time the third season dropped in November 2025, Leavitt had already embarked on her next level of fame as a celebrity cast member of Dancing With the Stars season 34.
Her reach continued to expand through the celebrity-driven ballroom competition show, with Leavitt’s technical skills and passionate performances gaining her new fans. Dancing with her partner, Mark Ballas, Leavitt’s musical theater–themed performances were buzzed about by viewers and judges alike. Her foxtrot to Hamilton’s “The Room Where It Happens,” quickstep to Wicked’s “Popular,” and Argentine tango to Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango” all received top marks of the week. In fact, “Cell Block Tango” earned Leavitt and Ballas their first perfect score of the season, making Leavitt’s Broadway debut in Chicago feel like a full-circle moment.
“It was a nice little cherry on top,” says Leavitt about dancing to Chicago on DWTS while auditioning for the Broadway version. “I hadn’t had an in-person audition yet, but I was sending in my monologue, my singing, and my audition tapes virtually.”
Though she didn’t make it to the show’s finale, Leavitt made a splash by releasing her freestyle performance — the DWTS finale tradition where couples get to perform in whatever style they choose, with no specific movement rules — on the Call Her Daddy podcast. With nods to MomTok and the toxicity of social media fame, bedazzled costumes, some smeared lipstick, and Leavitt lip-syncing to a remixed “My Way,” the memorable performance has racked up over 4 million views and counting.
As she gets ready to take the stage, Leavitt cites her DWTS experience and community as key components in her preparation. The magnitude of dancing and performing she had to do weekly has helped with her stamina, and she has been receiving advice from Ballas, who is a Broadway alum from his run in Jersey Boys. She has also talked with Ariana Madix, who funneled down the same pipeline from reality TV star (Vanderpump Rules) to DWTS to Chicago.
This trajectory makes sense for Leavitt, who debated between majoring in dance or musical theater as a student at Brigham Young University. She has been a lifelong fan of musicals, has always loved singing show tunes, and has years of dance experience to draw upon, ranging from a competition studio team and her high school’s dance team to studying modern dance in college. Still, Leavitt is excited about the new challenges this opportunity offers.
“I’ve loved learning Fosse [choreography],” says Leavitt. “It’s a lot more contained movement that I’m not used to, and it’s very specific, which I’ve really enjoyed learning.”
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Her expertise of and deep familiarity with dance is allowing Leavitt to focus on polishing her acting and singing skills to become a true triple threat. During rehearsals, Leavitt most enjoyed learning “Funny Honey,” a song where she gets to flex her acting chops and bring the drama.
“I love the drastic difference where Roxie starts off with ‘I just love you so much’ to ‘Now I hate you!’ It’s just completely opposite sides of the spectrum, and for me, it’s not a subtle lead-up.”
DWTS viewers and TikTok followers are already acquainted with Leavitt’s acting chops, but fans are seemingly most excited to witness her singing, the skill Leavitt has kept teasingly under wraps. She played into the anticipation by filming her own lip-sync to a fan-made TikTok sound addressing it.
@whitneyleavittI guess there’s only one way to find out 🤭👀♬ original sound – Celia
“Acting comes with dance, so that part felt natural,” says Leavitt. “Because I am more used to just dancing, adding that element of singing and staying in pitch and in tune can be really hard. I have lots of respect for people who do all three. The Chicago team is beyond incredible. They have wonderful teachers and instructors who have little tips and tricks to make it feel and look more natural. I love a good challenge.”
Leavitt has put in a lot of work to meet this dream-come-true moment, and — echoing her DWTS finale song — she certainly has done it her way. It’s clear that now more than ever, the name on everybody’s lips is gonna be Whitney Leavitt.
Header photos by Emilio Madrid and Disney/Eric McCandless
