The ‘Vanderpump Rules’ star will hit the boards from Jan. 29 to March 24 — and PEOPLE has the first look at her highly anticipated debut
Ariana Madix is a few days away from her Broadway debut Chicago — but by the looks of it, she’s ready for showtime!
PEOPLE can exclusively release debut footage Vanderpump Rules star, 38, in action as she rehearses one of the most challenging numbers in the beloved musical, “The Hot Honey Rag,” ahead of her limited run as Roxie Hart from Jan. 29-March 24.
It’s the song that comes at the end of the show, when Roxie and rival Velma Kelly come together in an exquisite dance duet to celebrate their murderous glee. It’s a number that has entered the Broadway history books as one of the most recognizable dances of all time.
Choreographed by the late legend Bob Fosse (and titled “Keep It Hot”) for the original 1975 production. Chicago starring Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera, the number combines many of the steps Fosse learned during his vaudeville and burlesque days, such as the Shim Sham, Jo Frisco and Black Bottom. His former love Ann Reinking revived these movements for a revival in 1996 and performed them with Bebe Neuwirth to great acclaim.
Since then, countless stars have had their turn at the dance meant to mimic the competitive and electric friendship between Roxie and Velma. Each move is performed in tandem, yet different enough that the audience can’t keep looking away to see if they can stay in sync.
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Ariana Madix will make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the Chicago: ‘The biggest dream come true’
Madix — who has proven that she has a penchant for choosing choreography while running Dancing with the stars, where she was a finalist — she seems to have already mastered the moves in her short workout. In the video, he dances with Kristen Faith Oei with ease, looking like a seasoned Broadway pro.
If the owner of Something has this finesse about her, it’s probably because she’s been preparing for this all her life. Before finding fame on reality TV, Madix studied musical theater at Flagler College in St. Louis. Augustine, Florida, moving to New York after graduation with hopes of finding a place on the Great White Way.
To pay the bills during gruesome auditions, Madix learned to bartend and continued to perform when she decided to move to Los Angeles to try her hand at Hollywood. There she got a job at the SUR bar [“Sexy Unique Restaurant”]which will become the setting for Lisa Vanderpump The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spinoff, Vanderpump Rules.
A decade of dramas on Bravo and one “Scandaoval” later, Madix is now right back where she started — though this time, with the Broadway deal she once craved.
“To say this is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream would be an understatement,” she tells PEOPLE, during Chicago press call earlier this month at the 48 Lounge in New York. “This is literally everything to me. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. And to be here now, to have this come full circle … I feel beyond grateful.”
Ariana Madix celebrates joining the cast Chicago on Broadway at the 48 Lounge in New York on January 9, 2024.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Every celebrity who was in ‘Chicago’ on Broadway
That doesn’t mean he’s resting on his laurels. Madix knows the discipline it takes to do this job and goes to great lengths to ensure audiences see every bit of talent she has to offer.
“I’m very aware of what got me here, but I don’t want that to be what people think about when they walk out of the theater,” says Madix, hinting that this isn’t just a stunt choice as it may have been for others in the past. “As cool as it is, it is very Hamilton for me: I can’t throw away my injection. When I go out there, I really want people to say, ‘She belongs here.’ I don’t want people to say, ‘Oh, she got the part because of anything and nothing else.’ ”
“I’m here to prove to people that I deserve my chance,” she adds.
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Ariana Madix celebrates joining the cast Chicago on Broadway at the 48 Lounge in New York on January 9, 2024.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Roxie couldn’t be a more fitting role for Madix, as they’ve both risen to new heights of fame following the end of a headline-grabbing relationship (in Roxie’s case, the murder of her lover when he tried to leave her; in Madix’s case, when she discovered that Tom Sandoval — her boyfriend of nine years — was having a months-long affair with her friend and co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss).
But that’s not the part of her character’s story that Madix herself connects with.
“Honestly, I relate most to Roxie’s hope that her performances could come true,” she says. “He has a monologue before [the song] ‘Roxie’ where she says, basically, ‘I thought I was over it, but I could still be in vaudeville. Now I could still have my act. I got a world full of yes. Because before it was no, no, no, no, no.’ And I deeply understand that.”
Madix also understands a message that Roxie has not yet learned: that fame cannot be a motivator. “As beautiful as it can be, that’s not the goal,” she tells PEOPLE. “Ultimately, I want to be able to work. When I agreed VanderpumpI was hoping it would help me get more work, not fame.”
“Fame is fleeting. I’ve been on reality TV for a really long time and I’ve seen fame come and go for some people. So when it came to me, I had a really grounded attitude about it,” Madix continues. “It’s not the most fulfilling thing for me. But if I can use this opportunity to get a steady job, take care of my mom and build some kind of potential generational wealth for my family, then I’ll be fine.”
Every celebrity who was in ‘Chicago’ on Broadway
Chicago is the longest-running American Broadway musical in history and was the basis for the 2002 film starring Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, which won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Zeta-Jones (54). who played Velma.
With the legendary book by Fosse and Fred Ebb, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Ebb, a revival Chicago won six Tony Awards in 1997. Contains some of the most beloved songs in musical theater history, including “All That Jazz,” “The Cell-Block Tango,” “When You’re Good to Momma,” and “Razzle Dazzle.”
Madix will follow in the footsteps of an impressive line-up of Bravo stars who have taken turns on the show. Others include RHOBH stars Erika Girardi and Lisa Rinna, as well as The Real Housewives of Atlanta starring Kandi Burruss and NeNe Leakes.
Tickets for Chicago are on sale now at chicagothemusical.com.
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Source: HIS Education