Ariana Madix is going from Dancing with the Stars to Broadway!
By Sabrina Reed
On the Dancing with the Stars season 32 finale, contestant Ariana Madix mentioned being able to continue dancing and living her dream beyond the competition, but what she was alluding to wasn’t announced. Now it has been! Madix didn’t with the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy–that honor went to Xochitl Gomez–but she will be keeping her dancing shoes on because she’s headed to Broadway!
Deadline reports Madix has been cast as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. She’s set to make her debut at the Ambassador Theatre on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. It’ll be for a limited engagement that runs for eight weeks, her last show is scheduled for Sunday, March 24. This is a dream come true for Madix who had her heart set on an acting career fresh out of high school.
At the time, as she shared with Glamour, her parents were against the idea of her attending the acting conservatory that she’d been accepted into in New York City. They wanted her to pursue a degree and so she went to Flagler which is a small private college in Florida, located in Saint Augustine. Madix did end up moving to the city at a later date but after five years trying to breakthrough and making little progress, she moved to Hollywood.
Success by way of Los Angeles was never the plan, but that’s ultimately where Madix ended up making her name though not as an actress but as a reality TV star on Vanderpump Rules. Her Glamour interview highlights how her storylines tended to carry more weight than some of her castmates as they kept closer to topics of mental health, personal loss, and body image–all of which Madix has been open about. But thanks to the Scandoval, Madix had been best known for her break-up with co-star Tom Sandoval and its aftermath. The two had been together nine years before the split which was the result of him cheating on her with her friend and co-star, Rachel Leviss.
Dancing with the Stars has helped to shift Madix’s public image away from the explosive end of her partnership and back to her and her accomplishments. For 11 weeks, we got to see Madix grow as a dancer and performer, playing to her strengths and competing through injuries and pain. She was one of the best contestants on the show, utilizing her previous dance experience to propel her to the finale with Pro dancer Pasha Pashkov.
Now with the star Chicago bound, she’ll be furthering a passion that was rekindled during the dance competition. The role of Roxie Hart has been played by Pamela Anderson, Brooke Shields, Marilu Henner, Lisa Rinna, Mel B and more. Roxie is described as “the prettiest woman ever charged with murder in Chicago,” she’s also the main character of the play.
Chicago‘s synopsis, as detailed by New York Theatre Guide:
"Chicago centers on Roxie Hart, a chorus girl who dreams of being a vaudeville star. She’s cheating on her sweet but dim-witted husband named Amos — and when her lover tries to end their affair, she kills him in a fit of rage. Getting thrown in the Cook County Jail seems like a surefire end to Roxie’s dreams of stardom, but her sentence ends up being her ticket to fame.Her lawyer, the smooth-talking Billy Flynn, helps her concoct a defense that earns the press’s sympathy and gets her face on the cover of every newspaper in Chicago. And while in jail, Roxie meets Velma Kelly, an established vaudeville star who murdered her husband and sister. The women begin as rivals, as Roxie seeks to steal Velma’s lawyer (Billy) and her spotlight, but they come around to an unlikely alliance."
The play made its Broadway debut in 1975. The current production got its start in 1996 and has been running for nearly 30 years. If you plan on going to one of Madix’s performances, you can find the Ambassador Theatre on 219 West 49th Street between Eighth Avenue and Broadway. Chicago has a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes. There will be one intermission, those typically last 15-20 minutes.
As of publication, the Broadway cast includes:
- Charlotte d’Amboise as Roxie Hart
- Kimberly Marable as Velma Kelly
- Lili Thomas as Matron “Mama” Morton
- James T. Lane as Amos Hart
- Max Von Esson as Billy Flynn
- R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine
- David Bushman – dance captain
- Max Clayton as Fred Casely
- Christine Cornish as Hunyak
- Jennifer Dunne – swing
- Jessica Ernest as Go-To-Hell Kitty
- Jeff Gorti as Judge/Doctor
- Arian Keddell as Mona
- Mary Claire King as Liz
- Marty Lawson – swing
- Joseph London – standby
- Barrett Martin as Sergeant Fogarty
- Sharon Moore – swing
- Drew Nellessen as Bailiff/Court Clerk
- Denny Paschall as Aaron
- Khori Michelle Petinaud as June
- Angel Reda as Annie
- Jermaine R. Rembert as Martin Harrison
- Michael Scirrotto as Harry/The Jury
Ariana Madix debuts as Chicago‘s Roxie Hart on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for more Dancing with the Stars news and coverage!
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