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Mark Ballas debuts on Broadway in 'Chicago' with 'DWTS' partner Whitney Leavitt
'The Traitors' star made a return to the stage
We welcome Mark Ballas back to the Broadway stage!
The Dancing with the Stars professional and actor — lately appearing on the fourth season of The Traitors — returned to the stage on Monday (April 6), kicking off a four-week exclusive engagement in the award-winning revival Chicago.
At 39, Ballas takes on the role of the charismatic lawyer Billy Flynn. He teams up with his ex-DWTS partner, Whitney Leavitt, who has stepped into the Broadway spotlight as Roxie Hart since February 2.
Though Ballas previously led Leavitt, 32, in dancing, she stepped up Monday night. In footage of Ballas's curtain call, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives standout was poised to adjust Ballas after their communal bow, ensuring costar Greg Hildreth had space for his encore.
Cheering Ballas on from the audience, she celebrated as he took his own moment center stage with flowers at the Ambassador Theatre.
Enthusiastic theater fans greeted Ballas with a vibrant standing ovation and applause.
This is not his first rodeo, having trod the Broadway boards before. The three-time Mirrorball titleholder began his Broadway journey about a decade ago as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, helming the production for nearly a year through January 2017. He returned for another run in 2018 with Kinky Boots.
Fans have until May 3 to catch Ballas and Leavitt in Chicago.
Earlier in the month, the duo conversed with PEOPLE about their seamless onstage and offstage chemistry.
“We clicked right from the start,” Leavitt recalled fondly about meeting on DWTS. “It’s not common for everyone on the show, but it was with us, and we’re carrying that energy into this performance too.”
“We really understand one another,” Ballas mentioned. “Our sense of humor aligns, as do our interests. We tend to give our all in any task — which allows us to amplify our efforts.”
The pair share a history with the musical from the ABC show, having performed an Argentine Tango to "Cell Block Tango" — one of its most recognized numbers.
