NeNe Leakes is headed back to Broadway.
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The former The Real Housewives of Atlanta star will be playing the infamous Matron "Mama" Morton in the Tony-winning revival of Chicago just one year after making her stage debut as the wicked stepmother in Cinderella.
Leakes, who competed on Dancing with the Stars' eighteenth season and lasted seven weeks with pro partner Tony Dovolani, will begin her stint in New York on November 23, according to E! News. She'll be joining the cast only two weeks after former Dancing with the Stars winner Rumer Willis ends her run as Roxie Hart.
"I'm so excited to say I am headed back to BROADWAY in CHICAGO as Matron Mama Morton #neneismama," Leakes, 47, tweeted Thursday.
In the 2002 film adaptation of Chicago, Queen Latifah took on Leakes' upcoming role and earned herself an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. "Mama" has a no-nonsense attitude as she presides over a corrupt cell block in the Cook County Jail.
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Leakes announced in June she was quitting The Real Housewives of Atlanta before Season 8 because she was sick of all the drama. Leakes had been a part of the show since Season 1 and had many altercations with her co-stars throughout the years.
Leakes also appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice and played Sue Sylvester's rival cheerleading coach on the hit television show Glee.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski