Ballas, playing slippery lawyer Billy Flynn starting April 6, will share the stage with his Roxie, Whitney Leavitt, the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star who was his dancing partner on “Dancing with the Stars” last year.

“I think it’s going to be so fun. We work so well together," says Ballas, a three-time Mirrorball Trophy winner who has who has done stints on Broadway before in “Jersey Boys” and “Kinky Boots.” “I never thought I’d be surprised by things that come from the show, but here we are.”

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: You were originally a theater kid, right?

BALLAS: Yeah, I started when I was 11 at the Italia Conti Academy of Theater Arts in the U.K. They have a high school portion and a college portion. So I did the high school for five years and then I did college for three years. Musical theater and music were my majors.

AP: How did you start your career?

BALLAS: I grew up in England, so I was out there auditioning for West End shows. This is actually a wild, full-circle moment: One of the first shows I auditioned for was “Chicago” in the West End. I got right down to the end. I was only 18, still paying my dues, trying to figure it out. So this is super full circle.

AP: You didn't get it back then?

BALLAS: No. I went in for the ensemble. I got right down to the end. I think I had like four or five callbacks and in the end, I was too short. I was joking with them. I was like, “You know, my height was on the resume!”

AP: The stars seemed to aligning when you and Whitney performed “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago” on “Dancing with the Stars.”

BALLAS: We did “Cell Block Tango” because we had to pick a song that a previous couple had danced to. “Dancing with the Stars” has a bit of strategy to it and you want to have your banger numbers at the right time. So when I saw the list of music, “Cell Block Tango” was on that list. We just picked that song and it’s all very serendipitous. The next week, Whitney was going to audition.

AP: Now you're together again, this time on Broadway.

BALLAS: I had been in talks with “Chicago” on and off over the years. The timing just didn’t really work out. Whitney booked the gig and then I sent in tapes, went in for my audition and that tango happened, Whitney went in for it and then they were interested in having me. So it just like it was meant to be, you know.

AP: You were in New York recently to get ready?

BALLAS: I’ve already learned the show. I’m ready to go. I went and watched it every night. That’s part of my learning process. Like when I did “Jersey Boys,” I did the same thing. When I did “Kinky Boots,” I did same thing. I’ll go have my rehearsals — I take my little notepad — and then I’ll watch what I rehearsed and see it on its feet. I think that’s probably the dancer in me.

AP: Do you have a long history with “Chicago?”

BALLAS: I love this musical. I grew up learning this music. Going into the rehearsal, I knew these songs backwards. Over my lifetime, I’ve probably seen the stage show 30-plus times. When I think of iconic, classic theater, I think of “Chicago,” I think of “Les Misérables,” I think of “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

AP: What's it like to join the longest-running American musical in Broadway history?

BALLAS: To be a part of that legacy and to step into this character that’s held so much weight for so many years — and had iconic people like Usher, Patrick Swayze play this role — is very cool.

AP: It also has dancing inspired by the great Bob Fosse. As a dancer, how do you view him?

BALLAS: When someone asks me, “Who is your favorite dancer or choreographer of all time?” I would say Bob Fosse. I’m always trying to have my stuff look so clean, that my partner and I are doing the same things at the same time, and that concaved, kind of tortured style. I love that.

AP: Is it true you were an extra in some of the “Harry Potter” movies? How did that happen?

BALLAS: Because you needed so many kids to be extras, they used all the theater schools for kids that were interested in film and theater and acting. So they hired all those kids to be the extras. I was an extra in the first three.

AP: Can we spot you?

BALLAS: I was kind of in my awkward, emo phase, and I had a mouth full of braces and like spiky, Linkin Park hair. The one time I was about to be on full view — I think we were playing wizard chess — they moved me out the shot. But you can like see me lurking in the back if you’re very, very quick.

“Project Hail Mary,” directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, is the kind of spectacular cinematic adventure that we’ve been missing: A clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science, quirky T-shirts and “Interstellar.” It’s the kind of movie Disney really should be making, but, in this case, we have Amazon MGM to thank. And it will probably just get better with age and repeat viewings.

Ryan Gosling is put to the ultimate movie star test as the only person on the screen for a large part of the picture. It begins with his character, Ryland Grace, waking up from an extended sleep in a spaceship. His long hair and bushy beard suggest he’s been sleeping for quite some time (his highlights may tell a different story, but maybe I should repeat to myself it’s just a show and really just relax). Even worse, he’s alone and he has no idea how he got there or who he is.

The movie's not out to annoy you with wheelspinning: There are soon flashbacks and an alien friend added to the mix as he starts to piece together a picture of who he was on Earth (“Am I smart?” he wonders out loud) and try to complete his apparent mission to save the sun.

Except there’s the small matter that Grace is pretty sure he’s not a hero. On Earth, he was a middle school science teacher. When his students ask about the strange dots that have appeared outside the Earth’s atmosphere that seem to be causing the sun to die, he assures them that the world’s top minds are figuring it out. Against all movie logic when it comes to the extraordinary nobody, he's not excited to discover that he might be their only hope.

Some government types have found an old paper he wrote while getting his doctorate, an idea that made him the laughingstock of the scientific community. He tries to tell them at every step of the way that they’ve got the wrong guy for the job. “I ride a bike to work … and it’s not for exercise,” he tells Sandra Hüller’s project manager Eva Stratt. But he's scrappy and keeps working the problem.

“Project Hail Mary” does make you wonder whether a guy who looks like Ryan Gosling could disappear into the backdrop of his own life the way Grace has. But really what’s the point of that thought exercise? It doesn’t require too much suspension of disbelief to get invested in the journey of someone who essentially has to learn to believe in himself. And it doesn’t hurt when it also comes with an improbably cute alien sidekick who we’ll come to know as Rocky. He’s voiced by James Ortiz and is kind of like a golden retriever crossed with a genius architect. They soon become the best of friends, which can only mean one thing: You’re probably going to cry at some point.

While Grace and Rocky are the main show, Hüller is a particular standout as the dry, practical head of the operation. Gosling already spoiled her big, irresistible karaoke moment in his “Saturday Night Live” monologue, but I suspect it’ll still be a highlight. “The Bear’s” Lionel Boyce also lights up every scene he’s in as a private security/bodyguard type.

Lord and Miller haven’t directed a live action movie in some time, whether or not you count the ‘Solo’ Star Wars debacle, and it’s nice to have them back and teaming with a cinematographer with a keen grasp of scale and visual effects like Greig Fraser.

As in Lord and Miller’s animated movies, their tone and pace remain singular. “Project Hail Mary” might blow past a two-hour runtime and yet there’s rarely a dull moment with all the problem-solving, earnest irreverence and unabashed commitment to imbuing life and wit into every molecule of the story. Daniel Pemberton’s unusual, buoyant score and Joel Negron’s sharp editing are key.

So many filmmakers feel the need to overwhelm their intergalactic spectacles with pathos to match the cosmos. It’s kind of refreshing that “Project Hail Mary” doesn’t have a dead wife or kid weighing down our protagonist — just an alien friend and all of life on Earth.

“Project Hail Mary,” an Amazon MGM release in theaters March 20, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “some thematic material and suggestive references.” Running time: 156 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

Porter joins fellow co-producers Alan Cumming, host of "The Traitors US", and Olympian Gus Kenworthy, with Amrou Al-Kadhi directing the reworked version. In an exclusive interview with Attitude, Porter explained what drew him to the project: “I was initially drawn to the intergenerational relationship and then when I watched the show, I realised that the ‘sugar’ in "Sugar Daddy" was about Sam’s diabetes diagnosis. I have diabetes as well and we were both diagnosed after a traumatic experience that affected our nervous systems.”

This personal connection underscores the production’s resonance within LGBTQ+ communities, where health challenges like diabetes can intersect with broader experiences of trauma and resilience. Porter’s involvement highlights ongoing visibility for gay men navigating chronic illnesses in the arts. His return comes after he was forced to exit the Broadway revival of Cabaret in New York City, where he played the Emcee, due to a sepsis diagnosis in September 2025. Sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection, nearly proved fatal for Porter, who described himself as a “walking miracle” in recent reflections.

Addressing his recovery, Porter told Attitude: “Thank you for asking. I am on the mend. My stamina is still a bit compromised, and my spirits are high. I’m on the road to a full recovery. Daddy’s got to get back into her pumps!” This candid update reflects his characteristic blend of humor and determination. Reflecting on Cabaret, Porter shared: “I think it would be the blessing of having lived long enough to see the day where people of colour would be given the opportunity to tell these very human stories about a period of time when, up until now, we were invisible. The truth of the matter is: we were there. We are always there.”

The interview also touched on themes of loss central to Sugar Daddy. Porter described his “greatest personal loss” as the passing of his mother: “My precious mum passed away two years ago this past February. She was the greatest woman that walked the face of this earth.” His mother, who lived with spinal muscular atrophy, passed away in February 2024. Porter, who has been open about his own Type 2 diabetes and past bariatric surgery, noted that his survival from sepsis has given these themes of resilience a newfound resonance.

On his hopes for the production, Porter stated: “That life is precious, joy is a choice, and love is an action.” Tickets are available via the Underbelly Boulevard website. Porter’s return to producing amplifies vital conversations about health equity and the power of storytelling within the LGBTQ+ community.

It means influence without force and Manfred has that kind of energy on his Instagram. He’s not flexing in a gym, or aggressively baiting us with his VPL to promote an non-existent OnlyFans page. 



Conversely, there are plenty of shots with him in briefs, but even in those shots, the sex is implied rather than pushed. 



Manfred’s handsome, has a fit body and a camera. He uses all of that to show a soft sensuality which is surprisingly provocative, maybe even more than his more explicit counterparts. 



He does try to push the limits on his X account with up shots at waist level, but even that feels innocent. 



He has a profile on the subscription site Privacy which states in Portuguese, “Model and athlete. I can surprise you in ways you never imagined… Subscribe and discover my most intimate side up close!”



Beautiful blue eyes, a perpetual smirk and a laid-back attitude is what Manfred brings to the table, and we are eating it up and asking for seconds. 

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points and a career-high 15 assists, becoming the second player in NBA history to have those totals and zero turnovers. He also had nine rebounds. In the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander reached the 20-point mark for the 126th straight game, equaling Chamberlain’s streak from 1961-63.

With Oklahoma City leading 126-122, Denver's Nikola Jokic hit a 3-pointer and Oklahoma City's Jaylin Williams was called for an off-ball foul fighting through a screen. Jamal Murray made the free throw with 8.5 seconds remaining to tie the game.

Gilgeous-Alexander responded, elevating over Spencer Jones for his second 3 in the final 14 seconds. Denver's Aaron Gordon missed a 61-foot heave at the buzzer.

The Thunder are 6-0 since Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain that sidelined him for nine games.

Williams scored 29 points and Ajay Mitchell, in his return after missing 20 games with an abdominal strain and a sprained left ankle, added 24 points.

Jokic had 32 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. It was his 24th triple-double of the season and the 188th of his career. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 28 points and Gordon added 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets.

The Thunder were missing starters Chet Holmgren (illness), Isaiah Hartenstein (bruised left calf) and Jalen Williams (strained right hamstring) and key reserve Alex Caruso (bruised left hip).

Oklahoma City won a contentious game against the Nuggets on Feb. 27. Thunder guard Lu Dort was ejected and the game was filled with physical play and hard fouls.

Gordon, who missed the previous game against Oklahoma City with a strained right hamstring, scored 17 points in the first 5 1/2 minutes to help the Nuggets take a double-digit lead.

Oklahoma City led 66-60 at halftime, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 17 points.

The Thunder led by eight with just over two minutes remaining before Denver rallied to set up the tight finish.

Up next

Nuggets: Host Houston on Wednesday.

Thunder: Host Boston on Thursday.

Six months into his tenure at the Parisian stalwart, the designer staged his second ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week Monday, where brightly colored cranes rose from a holographic floor — a deliberate signal that the construction is ongoing.

For Parisians who have spent years staring at the real thing above Notre-Dame cathedral, the set was perhaps less dreamy than intended.

The audience inside the Grand Palais suggested the foundations are solid: Margot Robbie, Oprah, Jennie, Kylie Minogue, Lily-Rose Depp, Teyana Taylor and Olivia Dean all turned up to watch the next floor go on.

The caterpillar and the butterfly

Blazy took his cue from a quote from Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel: “We need dresses that crawl and dresses that fly.”

The collection was structured around that tension — plain against spectacular, function against fantasy — with a discipline his sprawling debut last October sometimes lacked.

The opening looks were austere by design.

Black knit zip-ups, tweed blousons and boxy overshirts arrived with little more than four gold buttons to signal they belonged to Chanel.

In the vast runway space, they could read as underwhelming.

But Blazy’s point was architectural: the suit, he said, is “the first brick” — and everything else rises from it.

That logic tracks to the founder.

In her apartment on Rue Cambon, a wall is covered in gauze painted gold — something poor made precious.

Chanel built a house on that idea, borrowing from everyday dress and elevating it.

Blazy is doing the same with her codes, stripping the suit to a knit shirt jacket or pressed-tweed blouson before rebuilding it in silicone-woven fabric and metallic mesh.

Dropping the waistline, raising the stakes

The collection’s most provocative move was its silhouette.

Blazy pulled waistlines dramatically low — belts slung to mid-thigh, pleated skirts starting where blazers ended.

The references were retro flapper filtered through a modern lens: drop-waisted twinsets, patchwork dresses with floral embroidery, vivid patterned knits with a twenties pulse.

A furry coat in bold geometric color could have been worn in a chic part of London's Camden.

Whether the ultra-low waistlines will land with the well-heeled clients who pack Chanel’s front rows is another question.

Selling a radically new proportion to women with deep loyalty to the house is a different challenge than winning critical praise.

When night fell

The final stretch answered that concern with force. Sequined plaid suits arrived in dazzling color. Beaded coats glinted with star-chart embroidery.

Metallic mesh was woven to mimic tweed motifs, and several models wore pastel-tinted hair to match their looks.

Fabric flowers burst from bodices.

Trailing ribbons, layered ruffles, and insect-wing detailing turned the runway into something closer to spectacle than commerce.

Blazy cast wide — teens through to women in their fifties — and let the show breathe, with a runway circuit that took models the better part of five minutes.

He framed it all with seven pared-back black and cream looks, as if to say: whatever else changes, the Chanel you know isn’t going anywhere.

If this second outing holds — on the penultimate day of fashion week — Blazy has found something rare at a heritage house: a way to honor the founder’s voice without simply echoing it.

“The Secret Agent,” directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, will compete for the award on March 15 in Los Angeles, a year after Walter Salles’ “I’m still here” won the statuette for best international film — and there is significant chance that it could secure a second triumph for Brazilian cinema.

“So many good things have happened to the film and it feels like it just keeps going,” Mendonça Filho said in an interview in Mexico City, where “The Secret Agent” is playing in theaters.

The director of films such as “Bacurau,” “Pictures of Ghosts” and “Aquarius,” credits this milestone for Brazilian cinema, in part, to public funding for cinematography in Brazil, which he said leads to diversity in production and highlights the talent available.

“What I want now, today talking to you, is that...there is a film being edited in Brazil by someone and maybe this film we will be talking about next year. That’s what I want,” he said.

Set in the northern city of Recife in 1977, “The Secret Agent” explores themes such as the loss of personal and collective memory. The character played by star Wagner Moura assumes a false identity to avoid his pursuers during the military dictatorship while obsessively searches public records for any trace of his mother. At the same time, he is at risk of vanishing from his own son’s memory.

“In my country memory is associated with class,” said Mendonça Filho. “For example, well-off families from the middle class, they all have family albums. But if you go to poor families ... they don't. It’s an incredibly strong theme to be discussed. And I think that’s what the film is about. The film is very much about not having existed. Not because of you, but because of society.”

Despite the risk of erasing memory, the film is anchored in the memories of Mendonça Filho and aided by the production design of Thales Junqueira and the costumes of Rita Azevedo, through fashion, buildings, cars, as well as an endearing cast, which includes the septuagenarian Tânia Maria in the role of Dona Sebastiana.

It is still a Brazilian film, so despite the misfortune, there are moments of comedy such as a “hairy leg” attack, a media hoax used to justify crimes, and nostalgic tributes to local theaters that once showed hits like “Jaws.”

“1977 is the first year I remember”, the director said. “I was already a little cinephile. I was very interested in cars. I don’t know anything about cars today, but cars at the time were really interesting for me. People I remember, clothes, colors. And when I was writing the script, I really felt myself crawling back into time, into myself.”

Mendonça Filho said he was looking for an exciting tone for the film, shot in Panavision, and that it would have a captivating sound, full of music.

“Much like the films from the past that made people want to see films in a cinema,” he said. “Sometimes it can be brutal, but it’s also full of love and it’s very much about life in Brazil and in Latin America”.

Former Canadian hockey defenseman Matt Kenny, now living in Coachella Valley, California, attended the two-game event. Kenny, who had retired from the sport, recently returned to the ice for the first time in 15 years at the Berger Foundation Iceplex in Palm Desert, California, as part of his healing journey. He described the experience as feeling "amazing" and driven by a need to "repair my relationship with hockey."

Kenny's public coming out in January 2026 was sparked by watching the HBO series "Heated Rivalry," based on Rachel Reid's novels about a romantic relationship between two rival hockey players. On Christmas Eve, the first episode triggered an emotional breakdown: "I legitimately broke down, it cracked me wide open, I had a panic attack, I couldn’t breathe, and like 20 years of memories and trauma came back," Kenny shared on Instagram. Reid amplified his story on social media, leading to over 4.5 million views of his posts.

In his posts, Kenny revealed a past secret relationship with a teammate, the homophobia that contributed to his departure from hockey, and his five-year battle with multiple sclerosis, which he has overcome to become a long-distance runner. Following the Pride Cup, he posted about the event's significance for visibility in the LGBTQ+ community: “This weekend reminded me that visibility within our community matters.”

A pivotal moment came when Kenny met a 9-year-old hockey fan and his mother at the event. The child recognized Kenny and requested a photo, despite Stanley Cup champions like Andrew Ference, Bill Ranford, Corey Hirsch, Dave Tomlinson, Dave Babych, and Jyrki Lumme also being present. Later, the mother texted Kenny that her son called him his hero and said it was the best day he had had in a long time.

Kenny reflected on the encounter: “Yesterday was the first time I actually looked into the eyes of that next generation, and it hit me. This was no longer just an idea... And here’s the wild part: There were Stanley Cup champions in that room. Actual legends of the sport. And he still wanted a picture with me.” He emphasized its broader meaning: “For me, it wasn’t just about rainbows. It was about connection and community and love of others and self.”

Kenny advocated for safety in sports for LGBTQ+ people, including transgender and nonbinary individuals: “I don’t know why, but my gut told me the only way that I could heal this was to repair my relationship with hockey... for the LGBTQ+ community and specifically our trans family to feel safe inside sport and the sport that they love. Not tolerated. Not debated. Not politicized. Safe. I saw the impact directly. I saw it in the eyes of the next generation.” He later amended "brothers and sisters" to "trans family" to be more inclusive.

Kenny challenged others: “Think about who might be watching you. Think about how you could become a hero for someone else, not by being extraordinary but by being honest. By telling your story.” He has committed to attending next year's NHL Pride Cup on the ice. The event underscores growing visibility for gay athletes in hockey, fostering connections across generations in inclusive spaces.

The White House posted the 31-second clip on TikTok on February 10, 2026, featuring fighter jets launching missiles and striking what appeared to be an enemy ship, overlaid with Kesha's track and captioned "Lethality."

Kesha, 39, responded on social media on March 2, 2026, stating, "It's come to my attention that the White House has used one of my songs on TikTok to incite violence and threaten war." She emphasized, "Trying to make light of war is disgusting and inhumane," and added that she "absolutely does not approve of my music being used to promote violence of any kind."

Continuing her statement, Kesha wrote, "Love always trumps hate," and criticized the post as showing "blatant disregard for human life and, quite frankly, this attack on all of our nervous systems is the opposite of what I stand for."

White House officials dismissed Kesha's criticism on X . Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr posted, "Kesha quotes are like Popeye's spinach to this team. Memes? They'll continue. Winning? Will also continue."

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung reposted Kesha's statement, writing, "All these 'singers' keep falling for this. This just gives us more attention and more view counts to our videos because people want to see what they're b----ing about. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Kesha replied directly, stating, "Stop using my music perverts @WhiteHouse." In a separate post, she referenced President Donald Trump's mentions in recent Jeffrey Epstein court filings, which have drawn renewed scrutiny after the Justice Department released over three million additional records in January 2026.

This exchange echoes complaints from other musicians. Singer Sabrina Carpenter condemned the White House for using her song "Juno" in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement video, calling it "evil and disgusting" and rejecting its association with what she termed an "inhumane agenda." Olivia Rodrigo has also objected to similar unauthorized uses.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to Carpenter, stating, "Here's a Short n' Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won't apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country."

Kesha's history includes advocacy for personal and artistic freedom, notably her legal battles against producer Dr. Luke, which resonated with many in the music industry and broader communities seeking justice. While not explicitly tied to LGBTQ+ identities in this incident, her fanbase includes significant support from LGBTQ+ communities, who have praised her empowering anthems and unapologetic persona on social media platforms.

The video's views surged following the backlash, aligning with the administration's narrative that celebrity outrage amplifies their content. Kesha's team did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between artists and political entities over music licensing and messaging, particularly amid heightened military and immigration rhetoric from the administration.