‘Real Housewives Of Atlanta’ Star Kandi Burruss Makes Broadway Debut, Nene Leakes Weighs In

If there’s one thing you can say about the Real Housewives of Atlanta stars, it’s that they’re nothing if not talented. And Kandi Burruss — who first came to our pop culture consciousness as a member of the all-girl R’n’B group Xscape — is proving that she’s more than just a pretty face now that she’s made her debut on the Great White Way.

That’s right — as of last night, Burruss is starring on Broadway in Chicago, playing the role of Matron Mama Morton at the Ambassador Theater in New York City.

But Burruss isn’t the first Real Housewives of Atlanta star to hoof it up on Broadway. According to Bravo TV, in 2015, Burruss’s co-star Nene Leakes made her Broadway debut in the same role.

Needless to say, when word got out that Burruss was making her Broadway debut, Nene put her two cents in the middle.

Fortunately, Nene’s reaction to her co-star’s glow up was a positive one.

“Broadway’s a different type of stage. Every single day and you have to be on,” she said. “Every day. It’s like, oh my gosh, girl! And the audience is great cause they give you so much energy and they’re great. They’re there to support you.”

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— NeNe Leakes (@NeNeLeakes) January 17, 2018

This writer was in attendance for Burruss’s inaugural performance in the iconic role, and the Real Housewives of Atlanta star was warmly received by both her fellow castmates and the star-struck audience in attendance. The show director pointed out that it was “lovely” that Burruss wasn’t a “jaded Broadway star” before welcoming her to the Great White Way.

While, no doubt, Burruss’s background as a singer-songwriter helped her with her performance, Nene Leakes told Bravo TV that she needed to consult with her best friend, Tamar Braxton, before she took the stage in the iconic role of Matron Mama Morton.

“Tamar and I definitely talked about me being Mama Morton [like], ‘Should I do it? Should I not do it?’ [because the role] was going to [have] a solo, then there was going to be a duet and things like that,” she said. “We talked about [it].”

It seems like both Real Housewives of Atlanta stars are successful in their Broadway roles.