What Did Whitney Leavitt Ad-Lib When She Forgot a Line in Broadway's Chicago?

Leavitt and Mark Ballas recently chatted with Good Morning America about reuniting on Broadway after Dancing With the Stars.

April 08, 2026 By Andrew Gans

Dancer, choreographer, and actor Mark Ballas returned to Broadway earlier this week as slick lawyer Billy Flynn in the Tony-winning revival of Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre, reuniting with his most recent Dancing With the Stars partner, Whitney Leavitt, who is currently playing Roxie Hart.

Good Morning America recently spoke with the two reality stars, who reminisced about their work on Dancing With the Stars and discussed starring in the long-running Broadway musical. Leavitt revealed what she ad-libbed when she once forgot a line in the hit revival, and Ballas became emotional when his name was added to the wall of actors who have starred in the record-breaking production. Leavitt also described Roxie as "sassy, impulsive, and always learning," three qualities she says she shares with the character. Watch the complete interview above.

Ballas made his Broadway debut in 2016 as the final Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys 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. Leavitt, star of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is making her Broadway debut in the record-breaking production. Both are currently scheduled to continue through May 3 at the Ambassador.

READ: Whitney Leavitt Knows What You Think of Her, and She's Happy to Prove You Wrong

Check out Chicago merchandise in the Playbill Store

The Broadway production, currently celebrating its 29th anniversary, also features Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Jacqueline B. Arnold as Matron "Mama" Morton, J. Workman as Mary Sunshine, and Greg Hildreth as Amos Hart.

The company also includes Tia Altinay, Zach Bravo, Austin Dunn, Jennifer Dunne, Jessica Ernest, John Michael Fiumara, Danielle Marie Gonzalez, Chelsea James, Christopher Kelley, James T. Lane, Marty Lawson, Joseph London, Kristen Faith Oei, Denny Paschall, Mariah Reives, Sean Samuels, Samantha Sturm, and Jeff Sullivan.

The revival of Chicago began life as one of the three annual Encores! presentations offered by City Center. The musical opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre November 14, 1996, where it remained through February 1997. The musical transferred to the Shubert Theatre, and played that house through January 26, 2003. The revival reopened at the Ambassador Theatre January 29 that year.

Since its debut in 1996, Chicago has played in 36 countries and been seen by 33 million people worldwide. It is now the second-longest running show in Broadway history (after the recently closed The Phantom of the Opera).

READ: How the Chicago Costumes Have Evolved Over 25 Years

With a book by the late Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Ebb, Chicago features direction by Walter Bobbie, choreography by the late Ann Reinking, set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer, and casting by ARC.

The current production, produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Bobbie, lighting designer Billington, and Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Fosse.