Dancing With the Stars host Julianne Hough is trading the ballroom for Broadway!
The Emmy Award winner is set to make her Broadway musical debut as Lola in a star-studded revival of Damn Yankees. Hough will star opposite Tony Award and five-time Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris, who will play Applegate, while Hamilton alum Austin Scott takes on the role of Young Joe.
For Julianne, the Broadway stage marks a new chapter in a career that has already taken her from Dancing With the Stars to movies, television, and now live theater.
Julianne first made her mark on Dancing With the Stars as a professional dancer, winning her first Mirrorball Trophy with Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno in Season 4.
She went on to become one of the show’s most recognizable pros before trading in her dance shoes for the judges’ table. Julianne joined Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and the late Len Goodman as a DWTS judge before returning to the ballroom in 2023 as co-host alongside Alfonso Ribeiro.
Julianne has showcased her acting chops in movies including Burlesque, Footloose, and Rock of Ages. On television, she played Sandy in Grease Live! and Jolene in Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings.
The new Damn Yankees revival will transport the classic musical from its original 1950s setting to the early 2000s. The original production was choreographed by legendary Broadway performer Bob Fosse and starred Gwen Verdon.
Previews are scheduled to begin at the Marquis Theatre on March 24, 2027, one day before the first Yankees game of the season. Opening night is scheduled for April 20, 2027.
