Reece Weaver is going from Dallas to 'Chicago'

The former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and America's Sweethearts star is bringing "a little bit of humor and a lot of spunk" to her Broadway debut this fall.

Summary

• Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Reece Weaver makes her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago from September 7 to October 18
• Weaver talks about the similarities and differences between the DCC and Broadway; her performing arts background; the Chicago rehearsal process; and her Broadway watchlist

Reece Weaver is going from cowgirl to criminal — performance-wise, anyway. The Alabama native broke out as a star of the Netflix reality show America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC), making headlines earlier this summer when she left the squad after three seasons instead of the standard five. But she's getting right back in the saddle, dancing her way onto Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago through October 18.

Roxie, too, adopts a kind of "America's sweetheart" persona in the long-running musical, only she fakes it to curry public sympathy and dodge a murder conviction. Weaver, sweet-faced and smiley, much more obviously fits the moniker. Before she was an NFL cheerleader, she attended performing arts schools and grew up surrounded by show tunes. But having mainly danced in recent years, that's clearly where Weaver's affinities lie. She discussed her approach to Roxie in physical terms, saying she constantly grounds her performance "in [Roxie's] feet and where she's planted."

"Dance has helped me get into a character and get into emoting out to an audience," Weaver said, adding that she's channeling "a little bit of humor and a lot of spunk" in her Roxie. Learning to convey these things through acting and singing as well has challenged Weaver — and she loves it.

"This process has put me back in that student space again," she continued. "It's been so fun to challenge myself and push myself to see what I'm capable of."

Get Chicago tickets now.

Congrats on your Broadway debut! How long has it been in the works before the news broke in August?

A lot of people have asked that question and think it's been so long in advance, but actually, it hasn't. I initially got the offer to come and audition [in June or] July, and things were happening quick.

I did not have this on my radar at all, but one of my dreams growing up was always to be on Broadway and to perform. So, the fact that this is coming to fruition is such a blessing.

What was your first exposure to Chicago?

I went to a performing arts middle school and high school, so I was well aware of the score. "All That Jazz," of course; "Roxie" — I probably have had some piece of choreography to it at one point. I've known Chicago for so long, but I actually got to see Chicago last April with Whitney Leavitt and Mark [Ballas], and they were incredible. It inspired me. I was like, "I want to get up there!"

And here you are! Now that you're playing Roxie, what's your take on her?

A lot of times we miss that Roxie's pretty funny. The way she can be feeling this certain emotion and then completely, drastically change to something else is funny.

And something I've learned from her is no one, nothing can get in her way for wanting to succeed. The actions she takes, I probably wouldn't take, but you can tell she's a go-getter, and she's feisty, and she wants what she wants, and she's going to go get it. Having that spin of being funny, being playful, but also having some spunk has been so fun to juggle.

You're telling Roxie's story through the iconic songs and dialogue, but as a dancer, how are you also embodying that through dance?

Growing up, it's very easy for me to tell a story through my body [...] whether it's something fierce and sassy and performative, or it's emotional and you're trying to tell a story of this sad number.

With Roxie, she's having so much fun, and she just wants to see her name in lights. Anything that's wanting to pull an audience in and getting people to gravitate towards her is the direction I'm taking. Big eyes, big presence, big everything.

I'm sure the Cowboys prepared you well for that.

Absolutely. Having to dance in front of 80,000-plus people is so special, but it has trained your body to be so expansive and perform for the person that's all the way in the back of the stands. It definitely has helped me be super expressive and emote super, super big.

How do cheerleading and Broadway training differ?

Physically speaking on my career in the past with performing, it's all body. [Building] stamina and shape and endurance and all that has definitely helped me, but the emotional part, of flipping the switch and getting into character and getting into Roxie's story, is definitely a different beast to tackle when you're on Broadway. Any performer can attest to that.

The emotional toll is a little bit heavier than what I've done in the past because you really have to embody someone else.

How do you deal with that toll?

Remembering I'm still Reece at the end of the day has really helped me. [...] Some practical tools that help me is going through the script and going through her music before rehearsal. That way I'm locked in and in the zone, because it's really hard just to get to rehearsal and be like, "Okay, I'm going to jump in."

During Whitney's run, she held up a newspaper with a "Mormon Wives" headline on it. Did you get to add in any nods to your career?

In [Roxie's] monologue, I'm putting a little something in there that everybody will [get] a kick from. But other than that, I do want to keep the integrity of who Roxie is and, of course, the intrinsic choreography [of] Bob Fosse. Everything is so traditional at the end of the day. I really want to make sure I'm doing my due diligence in that while also putting some surprises here and there.

Since leaving the DCC, how have you grown or changed?

One of my big 2026 goals was to be stretched and do things that were really challenging and hard for me so I can grow as an artist, as an athlete, as a performer. I definitely think that is coming to life. This process has really helped me grow and see what I'm capable of and some of my weaknesses, some of my strengths. That's just so much fun. I love being a student again.

Chicago is just as iconic for its dancing as for its songs. What does it mean to you to join that legacy?

It's such an honor. There have been so many incredible people who have come before me and so many incredible people that are going to come after me. To be part of that legendary list is such an honor, and I'm so blessed.

We say "pressure is a privilege" — I've always had that motto growing up, but it is, and looking at the list of people who have come before me is so iconic. But I want to make sure I'm doing my best and playing Roxie wholeheartedly.

You've seen Chicago, and you also posted about seeing Hamilton recently. What else is on your Broadway watchlist?

I'm a big Disney girl, so I would love to go see Aladdin and The Lion King. Those are also very iconic — there's so many costume changes and so much going on with Aladdin, and so [much] cool puppetry and so much going on within The Lion King.

I just saw Schmigadoon!, which was so funny and so good. I did see Just in Time, too. That was also on my list, but I want to see some of the classics, too.

Get Chicago tickets now.

Top image credit: Reece Weaver for Chicago. (Photo by Emilio Madrid)
In-article image credit: Reece Weaver at her first performance in Chicago. (Photos by Avery Brunkus)