Mark Ballas Shares Tender Moment With Whitney Leavitt On Stage During His Opening Night in Chicago
Mark Ballas and Whitney Leavitt are reuniting on the big stage!
The beloved “Dancing with the Stars” pro just kicked off a 4-week limited engagement in the Tony Award-winning revival of “Chicago” as Billy Flynn on Monday, April 6 opposite his Season 34 partner, who made her Broadway debut in the iconic role of Roxie Hart on February 2. With the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star at the helm, the long-running Broadway musical reached its highest weekly ticket sales in the show’s 29-year history.
This fan-favorite duo first captured viewers’ hearts on the hit competition series, where they were a standout pair with the judges week after week. This same spark is now taking center stage, where Ballas and Leavitt will be bringing their dynamic partnership to live audiences at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City.
Following Ballas’ performance, he was introduced on stage to take his bows with the rest of the cast before he and Leavitt were handed bouquets. Towards the end of their bows, Leavitt stepped back to allow Ballas his moment in the spotlight. Then, the “Dancing with the Stars” pro grasped Leavitt’s hand and exited the stage.
More EXCLUSIVE Photos From Ballas’ Opening Night Curtain Call
EntertainmentNow
EntertainmentNow
EntertainmentNowBallas & Leavitt Praise Their ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Dynamic
Disney“We connected right away,” Leavitt told PEOPLE of their time on the competition show. “I know that doesn’t always happen with people on the show, but that happened for us, and I feel like that dynamic we’re just gonna take onto this show too.”
Ballas added, “We just get each other.”
“We have a very similar sense of humor and we like the same things. I think we throw ourselves 100% into whatever we’re doing — and for that reason, we were able to push it even further,” he continued.
Prior to his return to Broadway, Ballas only had a couple of chances to rehearse the show with Leavitt because of her demanding performance schedule, according to the outlet. “It feels overwhelming,” Leavitt said when asked to reflect on her life over the last couple of months, which also included the release of the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Season 4. “But it’s overwhelming in a good way.”
Despite this demanding schedule limiting their ability to practice as a pair, Ballas was confident that their dynamic would carry over from “Dancing with the Stars.”
“I feel like our synergy and the way we work together is already in place. We know each other’s dynamics and how we move, so I’m looking forward to doing that in this context,” Ballas told the outlet.
