How Whitney Leavitt Made Ticket Sale History in Broadway Debut

“I think just this perception of me from season one of Secret Lives spread into the world,” Whitney, 32, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published March 16. “That narrative just gave me an insecurity going to a different platform, because I felt like I didn’t have that community that was rooting for me.”

But her assumption couldn’t have been further from the truth. After all, you don’t break Broadway records with an audience full of haters. 

“And boy was I surprised, because I definitely did, and I still do,” she added. “Because I’m telling you right now, the records that we’re breaking with Chicago, with ticket sales, that wouldn’t happen without that community that’s rooting for me. That was a very overwhelming and beautiful moment in my life.”

Whitney—mom to kids Sedona, 6, Liam, 4, and Billy Gene, 17 months, with husband Connor Leavitt—announced her role as Roxie Hart in the legendary Broadway show following her run on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars.

Reflecting on her time on the dance competition show—where she made it to the semifinals with Mark—she shared how she left DWTS with a whole lot, even if it wasn’t a Mirrorball Trophy.

“You grow real friendships and real connections with these people,” she said of her experience in a Nov. 20 Instagram video. “You learn so much about yourself and people who lift you constantly, and you challenge yourself. You just feel so loved.”

For more on the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast, read on…