Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Reece Weaver on leaving
Reece Weaver on her decision to leave the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and what she won’t miss.
Reece Weaver is trading her cowboy boots for Broadway.
The former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and breakout star of Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” is set to make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the long-running musical “Chicago.”
Weaver, 24, will begin her Broadway performances Sept. 7 at New York City’s Ambassador Theatre, according to an announcement from the production. She will take on the starring role for a six-week limited engagement through Oct. 18.
The professional dancer celebrated the career milestone on social media on Tuesday, Aug. 11, writing “A DREAM COME TRUE,” in the comments of an Instagram post from “Chicago” announcing the news.
The Broadway role marks Weaver’s next move after her recent retirement from the Dallas Coyboys Cheerleaders (DCC) following three seasons with the organization. Weaver joined the squad as a rookie in 2023 and became a familiar face to viewers through Netflix’s”America’s Sweethearts,” which follows the rigorous audition process and lives of the cheerleaders on and off the field.
Her move to Broadway also brings Weaver back to her roots as a dancer. She began dancing as a child and later earned a degree in dance from the University of Alabama before joining the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Weaver will succeed Korean pop star Ivy as Roxie Hart, with Ivy scheduled to play her final performance Sept. 6.
The former cheerleader announced her retirement in the Season 3 finale of “America’s Sweethearts,” when she told DCC director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell, “This is a hard day. But I think I’m going to move on to a new chapter.”“I owe a lot to you guys because y’all trusted me with this position, this job. It’s been everything and more that I could imagine,” she continued. “But my cup is filled to the brim. And if my absence gives another girl an opportunity for her cup to be filled, then I consider that the greatest honor, leaving and moving forward. And so, that’s my decision.”
Despite the sadness of parting ways with DCC, Weaver shared with USA TODAY the one thing she won’t miss about her time with the cheerleading squad.
“The one thing that I’m not going to miss is when you rip your tights and have to change in the middle of a game to go put on new tights,” she said. “When you’re sweating and when you’re trying to put them on as fast as possible… I’m very excited and looking forward to not having to worry about the stress of ripping tights.”
“Chicago,” which celebrates the 30th anniversary of its Broadway revival this year, is the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. The six-time Tony Award-winning production features music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Ebb. The revival is directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by the late Ann Reinking.