Which Reality TV Stars Have Starred in CHICAGO on Broadway?

At 29 years on stage at the Ambassador Theatre, Chicago is Broadway's longest-running revival. With almost three decades of performances under its belt, Chicago has seen some of Broadway, film and television's brightest stars in the roles of Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly, Matron 'Mama' Morton, and Billy Flynn including Chita Rivera, Wayne Brady, Pamela Anderson, Joel Grey, Ann Reinking, Jerry Springer, Brandy, and many, many more. 

With the recent news that “Dancing with the Stars” semi-finalist and actress/breakout star of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Whitney Leavitt will soon be joining Chicago as Roxie Hart, BroadwayWorld is taking a look at other reality TV stars who have been in Chicago on Broadway, including Erika Jayne, Lisa Rinna, and many more!

Whitney Leavitt

Whitney Leavitt, star of Hulu's “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and most recently a “Dancing with the Stars” semi-finalist will be making her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart beginning Monday, February 2, 2026 at the Ambassador Theatre. She will play a 6-week limited engagement through Sunday, March 15, 2026. 

Whitney Leavitt is an Utah-based actress and breakout cast member of Hulu’s hit series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”  Whitney was most recently seen competing on Season 34 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” A millennial mom of three, she’s built a loyal digital following, amassing over 4M followers across all platforms, through her mix of dance videos, family-focused comedy and lifestyle content. 

Ariana Madix 

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix made her Broadway debut in January 2024, in the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago. Her initial limited engagement run was extended, and she played the role through early April. Madix then returned to the role in September 2024, starring in the show for an additional month. 

Ariana Madix has paved her own unique path in the world of entertainment and reality TV. Born and raised in Melbourne, FL, Ariana began performing as soon as she could walk. After a successful competitive equestrian career and winning two national dance championships, this talented newcomer received Bachelor’s degrees in Theatre and Broadcast Communications from Flagler College. It wasn’t long before Ariana set out to pursue her dream and moved to New York City where she became a part of the sketch comedy world. Working extensively with College Humor, MTV, and ESPN helped to solidify Ariana’s quick dry wit and biting sarcasm. Madix is now based in Los Angeles, has a diverse resume in film & tv including Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules." Turning her "survival job" as a bartender into an enterprise, Ariana's path is truly unique. She was a finalist on season 32 of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars.”  Variety named her one of the Most Powerful Women in Reality TV and her book Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches was recently named a New York Times best-seller.

Kandi Burruss

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, actress & TV sensation Kandi Burruss (Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta") made her Broadway debut in the role of "Matron "Mama" Morton" in Chicago in January 2018. She starred in the role eight weeks, performing alongside Charlotte d'Amboise as Roxie Hart, Olivier Award Winner & Original Cast Member Leigh Zimmerman as Velma Kelly, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.

Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum selling, singer, songwriter, TV personality and entrepreneur, Kandi Burruss-Tucker's influence can be felt everywhere. Not only is she behind countless hit records and a star on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta;" Kandi is also thriving in business with her own companies, Bedroom Kandi - an adult line, TAGS Boutique - luxury women's apparel, Raising Ace - a baby line inspired by her son Ace, Old Lady Gang - a southern eatery, and other ventures."

NeNe Leakes

NeNe Leakes (Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta"), starred for four weeks in the role of Matron "Mama" Morton, in December 2015. 

Leakes returned to Broadway after making her stage debut the previous year in the role of Cinderella's wicked stepmother 'Madame' in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Leakes made her acting debut in the recurring role of Coach Roz Washington, on Fox's hit comedy "Glee", appearing over four seasons. She has guest-starred on BET's comedies, "Real Husbands of Hollywood," "The Game" and "Let's Stay Together" and appeared as a series regular on Ryan Murphy's comedy series "The New Normal" for NBC. She also appeared on the Emmy nominated "Dancing with the Stars" for ABC.

Due to Leakes' versatility as a reality star, talk show host an actress, at one point, Leakes appeared on four different TV shows at the same time, showcasing her skills as a well-rounded talent. She also made headlines when she performed with the cast of Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity in Las Vegas. She was the first celebrity cast member in the thirty year history of the Cirque franchise's history. In addition to her acting credits, NeNe Leakes is also a published author and has appeared as a guest host for several talk shows that include E!'s "Live from the Red Carpet" coverage of the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, "Live with Kelly and Michael," "The View" and "The Real."

Lisa Rinna

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago in June 2007, alongside her husband Harry Hamlin.

Lisa Rinna previously starred on season 3 of "Dancing with the Stars" and starred as  Billie Holliday Reed on "Days of Our Lives". She also appeared on "Veronica Mars," "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" and "Melrose Place," among others.  Film credits include Good Advice and Monday Morning.

Erika Jayne

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne made her Broadway debut in the role of Roxie Hart in January 2020. She was set to play a 12-week limited engagement, but her time in the role was cut short due to the pandemic.

She stepped back into the role in January 2025, and was initially set to star for a month, but extended her run for an additional two weeks.

TV personality, singer, author and actress, Jayne is best known for “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills". Jayne launched her professional singing career in 2007 with the release of her debut single, "Roller Coaster” which reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart, followed by eight more #1 hits: “Stars,” “Give You Everything,” “Pretty Mess,” “One Hot Pleasure,” “Party People,” “Crazy” and “How Many F—ks.”  In 2023, Jayne unveiled her highly anticipated Las Vegas residency, Bet It All on Blonde, at the iconic House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. Partnering with Live Nation, this electrifying spectacle dazzled audiences with a glamorous fusion of her biggest chart-topping hits and fresh, never-before-heard tracks.

Outside of her recording career, Jayne performed on the 24th season of “Dancing With the Stars.” She also released her first book, “Pretty Mess,” in 2019, which quickly became a New York Times bestseller. Jayne has amassed over 5 million followers across social media platforms and worked with prestigious brands such as Alexander Wang, Moschino, Kenzo, Too Faced and more.