Whitney Leavitt isn’t finished with Broadway. Just months after turning her Broadway debut in Chicago into a record-breaking success, the reality television personality and Dancing with the Stars alum has officially booked her next major stage role. This December, Leavitt will return to New York to portray Sandra Dee in the hit musical Just in Time, starring opposite Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan.
Leavitt will begin performances on December 1, 2026, at Circle in the Square Theatre, with her limited engagement currently scheduled to continue through January 10, 2027. The six-week run gives her another opportunity to prove that her unexpected transition from reality television to Broadway was much more than a one-time experiment.
Just in Time tells the story of legendary entertainer Bobby Darin, whose hits included “Mack the Knife,” “Beyond the Sea” and “Dream Lover.” Sandra Dee, the Hollywood actress who married Darin in 1960, plays an important role in that story, giving Leavitt the opportunity to portray a real entertainment icon rather than the fictional Roxie Hart she previously played.
The production originally opened with Jonathan Groff portraying Darin. Leavitt revealed that seeing Groff in the musical actually played a part in inspiring her to pursue the show herself. Now, when she joins the company in December, Jeremy Jordan will be playing Darin opposite her Sandra Dee.
For Leavitt, the casting represents another remarkable development in a career that looked very different only a short time ago. Millions originally came to know her through The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, while an even larger television audience watched her compete on Dancing with the Stars.
But Broadway had apparently been calling for much longer.
Leavitt made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago on February 2, 2026. What was originally supposed to be a six-week engagement quickly became something much bigger after strong ticket demand resulted in extensions.
Her run ultimately continued through May 3, and during that period the production achieved extraordinary box-office results. Leavitt’s time with the musical helped produce the highest-grossing period in the Broadway revival’s 29-year history, turning what could have been viewed as celebrity stunt casting into a genuine career-changing moment.
There was another special twist during that run. Mark Ballas, Leavitt’s former Dancing with the Stars professional partner, eventually joined Chicago as Billy Flynn. The reunion brought their partnership full circle after the pair had previously performed an Argentine tango to “Cell Block Tango” during their time in the ballroom.
After leaving Chicago, Leavitt made it increasingly clear that performing on Broadway had awakened something in her. Rather than treating Roxie Hart as an experience she could cross off her bucket list, she began openly discussing her desire to return to the stage.
She even revealed earlier this summer that she would love to return to Chicago someday in a completely different role—Velma Kelly. That comment already suggested that her Broadway ambitions extended far beyond her first engagement.
Now Just in Time confirms it.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Leavitt’s latest announcement is what she has said about her future. Although her Sandra Dee engagement currently lasts only six weeks, she has made it clear that she hopes Broadway remains part of her career for much longer.
Leavitt has spoken about wanting to continue performing on Broadway and pursuing opportunities that challenge her as an actress, singer and dancer. After discovering how strongly she connected with live theater during Chicago, she appears increasingly interested in building an actual stage career rather than simply making occasional celebrity appearances.
The timing is particularly interesting because Leavitt has also confirmed that Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will be her final season. Moving away from the reality series that made her widely recognizable gives her considerably more freedom to pursue acting and theater opportunities.
That makes her upcoming six weeks as Sandra Dee feel potentially much more significant. It isn’t simply her second Broadway credit—it could represent the beginning of a major career transition.
There are still no guarantees about what happens after January 10. Leavitt hasn’t announced another Broadway production, and her Just in Time engagement remains officially limited. But her experience with Chicago already demonstrated that six weeks doesn’t necessarily remain six weeks when audiences respond.
Her original Chicago engagement was supposed to end in March. Instead, overwhelming demand kept her on Broadway until May and helped the production break box-office records along the way.
Now Whitney Leavitt is getting another opportunity to see whether lightning can strike twice. From reality television to the ballroom, from Roxie Hart to Sandra Dee, her career has changed dramatically in less than a year—and judging by her comments about wanting Broadway to remain part of her future, those six weeks this December may be only the beginning.
