Ariana Madix is moving on up, up, and away from her loss on the 32nd season finale of Dancing with the Stars, which aired on Tuesday and crowned 17-year-old actress Xochitl Gomez as champion.
The 38-year-old reality TV star announced on Wednesday's episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan that she will be taking on the role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago for a limited run.
"It's just the biggest dream come true," she gushed to the hosts after announcing the news. "I cannot believe this is real life. I'm going to cry." She continued talking about her beginnings with musical theater and performance as well.
Ariana received a bachelor's in theater from Flagler College and moved to New York City with aspirations to be on Broadway, also possessing years of dance experience, before she started working at Lisa Vanderpump's restaurants and found herself a spot in the Bravo multiverse through Vanderpump Rules.
The actress and media personality found herself at the center of a national scandal and sympathy when it was revealed that her boyfriend of nine years, Tom Sandoval, had been cheating on her with best friend Raquel Leviss. However, after the breakup, she quickly used her newfound spotlight to further advance her career by branching out into entrepreneurship and greater roles.
She was announced as one of the celebrity cast members of DWTS season 32 this July and established herself as an early frontrunner with her poised performance skills and gripping, well-known story. She ended her run on the show in third place, behind Xochitl and Jason Mraz.
Ariana's limited run in Broadway's longest-running show will span for eight weeks at the Ambassador Theater in NYC, starting on January 29, 2024 and ending on March 24.
However, Ariana's role is one that has been assumed by several famous faces before her, serving as a veritable revolving door for many A-listers looking to make their mark on the big stage, including ones from the Bravo universe.
MORE: Inside Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy's close bond after Dancing with the Stars win
Real Housewives stars Lisa Rinna and Erika Jayne have both taken on the leading turn of Roxie, and they've been joined by the likes of Brooke Shields, Ashlee Simpson, Michelle Williams, Christie Brinkley, Melanie Griffith, Melora Hardin, Brandy Norwood, and recently, in her Broadway debut like Ariana, Pamela Anderson.
Of course, one of the most notable Roxies comes not from the stage, but the 2002 film rendition of Chicago, which won six Oscars, including Best Picture, and featured an acclaimed lead turn from Renée Zellweger.
MORE: Chicago star Catherine Zeta-Jones impresses with a perfect high kick in skintight look
Renée was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, but lost in a highly competitive race to Nicole Kidman by a nose for her performance in The Hours.
News of Ariana's casting was shared on social media, and fans reacted with enthusiasm to the news. One penned: "This literally goes to show, the people you surround yourself with can either elevate you or hold you down. She is thriving since Tom's energy left her," while another added: "This girl is living!!!! So happy for Ariana!" and even her Vanderpump co-stars showed support.
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