Echoing footsteps fill the Ambassador Theatre in New York City as Mark Ballas steps into his four-week engagement as Billy Flynn in “Chicago the Musical,” running April 6 through May 3.
Source: Instagram, @whitleavitt
Ballas is best known for ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” where he built a reputation for his creativity and strong performance over 20 seasons. Ballas will step back into the spotlight as a charismatic lawyer known for turning court cases into media spectacles. Billy Flynn’s character relies less on dance and more on acting and stage presence, making it a different kind of performance challenge.
“Ballas is very creative, and he has a lot of music experience,” said senior Victoria Cutalo. “He definitely has that performance quality, and Billy Flynn is very performative.”
This will be Ballas’ fourth time on the Broadway stage.
According to Playbill, “Ballas made his Broadway debut at the August Wilson Theatre, later performing the role in the national tour. He went on to star as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots on Broadway in 2019, and previously appeared in the U.K. national tour of the Buddy Holly Story.”
The Broadway production will reunite Ballas with his most recent “Dancing with the Stars” partner, Whitney Leavitt. From Hulu’ “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” Leavitt made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart on Feb. 2.
“I wasn’t really surprised to find out Mark Ballas had booked this role. I felt like Whitney was doing so well as Roxie that the next step was for Mark to do it with her,” said Cutalo. “I think they will work well together.”
Ballas and Leavitt finished in sixth place for “Dancing with the Stars” season 34. Across Ballas’ career on the show, he is an 11-time finalist and three-time champion, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography, according to Broadway.
“His stage presence and the chemistry that he and Whitney had last season will be so awesome to see,” said junior Sarah Downing. “Casting someone who is well known to more people than just Broadway fans bring more people into the theatre to see them and leaves audiences appreciating theatre as a whole.”
Junior and dance student Genevieve Seanor also highlighted Ballas’ talent as a performer.
“He is a very strong dancer,” said Seanor. “He is such a versatile and dynamic performer, so in my opinion, he could do practically anything.”
