JoJo Reacts to Broadway’s Chess Closing Hours Before Rehearsal

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It’s the end of JoJo in Chess. 

Just as Sam Palladio, known for his song “Too Little Too Late,” was getting ready to step into Lea Michele’s part as Florence Vassy in the Broadway production of Chess, news came that the show would be ending its run sooner than expected.

The play, a complex love story between an American and a Russian chess champion set during the Cold War, will close on June 21st, following Lea’s final show.

The musical Chess, with music by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, announced its final performance on Instagram, using the poignant caption, “Nothing is so good, it lasts eternally.”

JoJo, whose full name is Joanna Levesque, starred as Satine in the Broadway musical Moulin Rouge! in both 2023 and 2024. She was scheduled to begin performing in Chess on June 23rd.

Only two days before the cast list was revealed, she excitedly shared that she’d landed the role, especially after her performance at the Forever Mine Music Festival.

She shared a video of her May 23rd performance on Instagram, writing, “Love you Chicago!!!!” She also thanked @foreverminefest for hosting what turned out to be her final show before starting rehearsals for the Broadway production of @chessbway, noting how lucky she feels to experience such different artistic worlds. She signed off with “Xx.”

When JoJo was revealed as the new cast member, replacing a former star of Glee, she shared her thoughts on rejoining the world of theater after almost two years away from Broadway.

She described the opportunity as amazing and thrilling, telling People magazine in March that she got chills while watching the show. She felt it was a perfect fit, and while it would be demanding, she was really looking forward to it.

Oh my gosh, I was SO excited when I heard JoJo was going to be in Moulin Rouge! She talked about how unbelievably thankful she was to finally be making her Broadway debut – it’s been a dream for her, and you could just feel how much it meant to her! I’m seriously counting down the days!

The 35-year-old said there’s no better way to start a career than working with the cast of Moulin Rouge! and feeling so welcomed. They were especially grateful for the support from the show’s company and the broader New York theater world.

Although JoJo isn’t playing Florence in the Broadway production of Chess, here’s a look at other celebrities who have performed on the Broadway stage.

Robert Downey Jr. has moved on from his role in the Marvel universe and is now making his Broadway debut in 2024 with a play called McNeal. Written by Ayad Akhtar, the play centers around Jacob McNeal, a novelist who receives a Nobel Prize while also learning he is ill. Despite previously opposing artificial intelligence, Jacob considers using AI to help him write one final, groundbreaking book.

As for why the Iron-Man star decided to hit the stage in the Bartlett Sher-directed production?

In an October 2024 interview with Vogue, he described a new play as having a relevant and important theme, and praised the talent of everyone involved, including Bart and the entire cast. He explained that the playwright, Ayad, has a unique style of presenting opposing viewpoints within a single idea, often immediately challenging or undermining his previous statements.

Before starting his new role, Robert reached out to Bradley Cooper—a fellow Marvel actor who received a Tony Award nomination for his 2015 performance in The Elephant Man—to get some advice.

Robert remembered telling someone, ‘Just remember you’ll be aware of your feet, but when you walk on stage, the audience will feel supportive.’ He thought that sounded encouraging, so he decided to embrace the experience like Bradley Cooper would – and let it unfold naturally.

I was absolutely thrilled when Whitney Leavitt transitioned so seamlessly from Dancing With the Stars – even after her elimination in November 2025 – right onto the Broadway stage! She started performing as Roxie Hart in Chicago, and honestly, everyone loved her. Originally, she was only scheduled for six weeks, through March 2026, but the demand was so high they had to extend her run all the way into April! It was amazing to see her shine.

Whitney is popular for her energetic personality on the Hulu reality show she’s on with Taylor Frankie Paul, Mayci Neeley, and other influencers known as ‘MomTok.’ But before reality TV, Whitney was a dedicated dancer who studied at Brigham Young University in Utah and always hoped to perform on stage.

She told Playbill in March 2026 that performing has always been a natural part of who she is. As a child, she loved making up dances and putting on little music videos for her family, often gathering her cousins to create shows for the adults.

And yet she still had nerves about taking her dance skills from TikTok to the Great White Way. 

In a February 2026 Instagram video, she shared how overwhelmed she was feeling. She admitted she was particularly nervous about performing solo for the first time in front of a live audience. After a lot of preparation, she hoped the performance would feel natural and that she could simply trust her instincts when she took the stage.

Pamela Anderson showed she could handle the Broadway stage when she played Roxie Hart in Chicago. She connected with the story on a personal level and performed the role for two months, finishing her run in June 2022.

She told TopMob News in April that she’d lived a full and eventful life, with plenty of both good times and challenges. She admitted she never fully understood what she was working towards, but now realizes she was getting ready for something bigger than she ever expected.

She felt a connection with Roxie, recognizing both her fragility and resilience. Like Roxie, she understood what it was like to face challenges with humor and poise, to be misrepresented, and ultimately, to find positivity even in difficult situations.

Although she was enthusiastic about the role, the Baywatch actress understood she had a lot of preparation to do before she could convincingly play Roxie and wear the character’s famous fringed dress.

She confessed she’d never pushed herself so hard, but she was thriving on it. She loved the demanding rehearsals and the feeling of satisfaction that came with being completely exhausted at the end of the day. She was learning everything she could, eager to absorb all the experience. She’d always dreamed of being a performer, but never believed it would actually happen.

And the former Playboy model admitted she was surprised to be cast in the role.

I can’t believe they chose me, it feels a little wild, but I’m incredibly thankful,” she said. “It’s a big risk for everyone involved. Singing takes a lot of bravery, but it’s also a skill you build with practice, like a muscle, and I’m improving constantly. I feel myself getting stronger with each passing day.

Tom Felton captivated audiences for 19 weeks while performing in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, where he once again played Draco Malfoy – now grown up.

Nearly two decades after the Battle of Hogwarts, the story centers on an unlikely friendship. Albus Severus Potter, son of Harry and Ginny, and Scorpius Malfoy, Draco’s son, both find themselves in Slytherin House and become friends.

It feels surreal,” Tom shared on Today in June 2025, before the new story even began. “I keep expecting to wake up! I hadn’t played that character for sixteen years, and now I get to revisit him – this time as a father – in a completely new way.”

Despite appearing in all eight Harry Potter movies as the well-known villain, the actor admitted his stage presence wasn’t quite as magical.

He explained that the play feels like a completely separate story from the Harry Potter movies he remembers from childhood. Now, instead of being the young audience, he and others are now the parents watching. While revisiting a familiar role, it’s also a new and different experience for him.

Charli D’Amelio first gained fame on TikTok, then showed off her dancing on TV with a 2022 appearance on Dancing With the Stars. Now, in October 2024, she’s making her Broadway debut in the musical & Juliet.

Originally, the influencer’s role as Charmian was scheduled to finish in January 2025, but it was extended on two separate occasions.

She expressed immense excitement about joining the Broadway scene, something she’s dreamed of since childhood. In a statement released in September 2024, ahead of her year-long engagement, she called making her Broadway debut – and as part of the cast of & Juliet – a dream come true, and said she’s eager to share the experience with audiences.

Although it was her Broadway debut, and the role as a member of Shakespeare’s acting troupe involved a lot of dancing, she felt comfortable and confident thanks to her years of experience.

She shared with ABC7 that November that dance had always been deeply meaningful to her. She explained that it allowed her to express herself in ways that words sometimes couldn’t.

Though, it was still hard to grapple with such a prestigious honor.

Charli, also a winner on Dancing with the Stars, shared that she never imagined she’d be where she is today, admitting she often doubted herself growing up. She expressed immense gratitude to everyone who supported her, especially her mom, who tirelessly drove her to dance classes and competitions, and always encouraged her to pursue her passion, even when she lacked confidence.

Similar to Whitney and Pamela, Ariana Madix got to celebrate the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago. The Vanderpump Rules star earned the opportunity after a difficult time – she was asked to perform just nine months after her very public and dramatic split from costar Tom Sandoval.

Understandably, she described that chapter in her life to TopMob News as “the rollercoaster.”

I was absolutely thrilled to see Ariana back on stage! She played the part from January to April, and then thankfully returned again from August to September. When asked about everything happening, she just laughed and said, ‘There’s really no easy way to explain it all!’ It perfectly captured how we all felt – just completely overwhelmed with excitement about her performance and everything surrounding it.

For the reality TV star, this was a chance to transform a difficult experience into a major achievement.

Let me tell you, when it comes to emotional manipulation, Roxie is a master. She can be incredibly charming and sweet to get what she wants, but the moment you don’t meet her expectations, watch out! She’ll turn on you in a heartbeat. It’s a classic tactic – sweetness followed by a swift shift in attitude if you don’t comply.

Julianne Hough dreamed of performing on Broadway, but she wanted to wait for the perfect role. When she came across the play POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, she felt it was the opportunity she’d been waiting for.

From April to August 2022, Alfonso Ribeiro, known for co-hosting Dancing With the Stars, played Dusty, a public relations aide for a controversial U.S. president. He starred alongside Rachel Dratch, Vanessa Williams, Julie White, Lilli Cooper, and Lea DeLaria as the seven women worked to manage the politician’s image and keep him out of trouble.

She mentioned discussions about performing on Broadway, but she didn’t want it to just be something she accomplished and moved on from. In an interview with TopMob News in May 2022, she explained she wanted to truly become involved with the Broadway community – to learn from it and contribute, rather than just make a brief appearance.

Nicole Scherzinger always dreamed of becoming a star. She achieved early success touring the world and enjoying the perks of fame as the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls, but she truly felt her dream come true when she played Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard from October 2024 to July 2025.

Oh my gosh, you guys, listening to Nicole talk about winning the Tony was EVERYTHING. She basically said she always felt…incomplete, like she wasn’t really living, and she was never truly happy with herself. It was like she knew she had this huge potential inside, and it was just waiting to burst out! She told TopMob News that this role…this amazing role…finally let her give everything she had. Seriously, she said it completely changed her life, and she’s so, so grateful. I’m getting chills just thinking about it! It’s like she was meant to play this part, you know? It unlocked something in her.

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2026-05-27 16:48