Mark Ballas To Bring ‘Jersey Boys’ To The ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Ballroom
Mark Ballas is back as Broadway takes over the ballroom on Dancing With the Stars. The longtime DWTS pro dancer will make a return to the celebrity ballroom competition for Showstopper Week, but he won’t be bringing his dancing shoes. Instead, Ballas will take the stage to perform the song “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” as Derek Hough and Marilu Henner perform a samba. Mark Ballas currently stars in Jersey Boys as music legend Frankie Valli. He plays the final Frankie in the long-running musical.
Mark teased his DWTS cameo on social media, revealing that he would not be performing in Jersey Boys on Broadway next Sunday.
“Something just came up, I will fill you all in soon,” Ballas wrote.
Hey guys.
I will NOT be in @JerseyBoysInfo this Sunday Nov 6th.
Something just came up, i will fill you all in soon ?
— Mark Ballas (@MarkBallas) November 1, 2016
Turns out what “came up” is a flight to the West Coast as Mark gets ready to perform on Monday’s live episode of Dancing With the Stars. As a bonus, viewers will get to see him accompany his childhood bestie Derek Hough’s dance, which is the next best thing to seeing Ballas dance.
Longtime Dancing with the Stars fans have missed Mark Ballas. The two-time mirrorball champ, who first started competing on the show during Season 5 in 2007, broke the news of his DWTS departure in August, telling fans that he was ready for a new chapter in his life. In a handwritten note posted to social media, Ballas revealed that he was set to embark on a new adventure and he thanked his fans for their support.
“I know many of you are concerned and curious. I want to wish myDWTS comrades luck this season,” Ballas wrote of his Dancing With the Stars departure. “I’ll miss competing and creating outside the box…However, I am looking forward to this new chapter and venture that is beginning shortly.”
FROM ME TO YOU… pic.twitter.com/PSXqMn4U6l
— Mark Ballas (@MarkBallas) September 1, 2016
While he’s ready for a new chapter, Mark Ballas has never pretended that he is closing the DWTS door for good. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Mark said that while he was “looking forward to spending time focusing on being a musician and an actor first,” he wouldn’t rule out a return to DWTS sometime this season, perhaps even as a guest judge.
“[It] would be really nice to sit behind the desk, so don’t rule that out,” Ballas teased. “Hopefully at some point. Maybe this season, who knows?… Jersey Boys is dark on Mondays so if they need me to get out there for some judging, I can make it. I can make that happen.”
Mark Ballas will live in New York while he continues in the lead role in Jersey Boys through January 2017. The musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and Ballas croons out the group’s classics, including “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” Mark is also currently planning his wedding to longtime love BC Jean, so he definitely has a lot of changes going on in his life.
In addition to the appearance by Mark Ballas, Cats star Leona Lewis will also appear on Dancing With the Stars Showstopper Week. Lewis will perform the song “Memory” from her Tony-winning musical as Calvin Johnson Jr. and Lindsay Arnold dance a waltz. And Wicked star Idina Menzel will perform “Queen of Swords ” and serve as a guest judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, Julianne Hough, and Bruno Tonioli.
You can see Mark Ballas’ return to Dancing with the Stars on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Take a look at the video below to see Mark Ballas talking about being part of the final cast of Jersey Boys.
[Featured Image by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Hollywood Christmas Parade]
