It's time to raise a glass to Ariana Madix's Broadway debut.
The Vanderpump Rules star is just weeks away from fulfilling her lifelong dream of playing Roxy Hart in Chicago on New York City's Great White Way. The milestone comes nearly one year after Scandoval—a.k.a. the controversy surrounding her ex Tom Sandoval and his affair with their former costar Rachel "Raquel" Leviss.
"The rollercoaster!" the Bravo star exclusively told E! News while reflecting on her success since the cheating scandal. "There's no way to even succinctly put all of that together."
But her breakup wasn't the only low point she's since come back from. "Also, 2022, losing my grandma and losing my dog," the 38-year-old added. "From that rock bottom of losing them to now, it's just life is life."
Madix hopes her journey from betrayal to Broadway will encourage others facing obstacles in their personal lives.
"I'm not alone, I'm not special," she explained. "I just feel like there's this feeling sometime that it feels like we're all in this together. I hope that I'm able to inspire because people inspire me all the time. It's a back and forth."
Ironically, Madix's story mirrors that of Roxy, who murders her cheating husband only to go on to fame and fortune. (Well, kind of.)
"Roxy's story is one that I totally identify with," the reality star admitted, "and sometimes when we're working on the script or working on the lines with her, I'm like, 'That's like me.' I love that about her and she is cool. She's bada--."
Plus, Roxy turned tragedy into success.
"If you think about the emotional Olympics, she's gold in everything," Madix continued, "because she'll butter you up, but the second that you might not be giving her what she needs, she's coming for you."
And, yes, her VPR costars will be in the audience to see her debut.
"They are so excited and all of them have talked about how they are going to come," Madix revealed. "What's great is our show is gonna be airing while I'm performing, so they're all going to be coming out for Watch What Happens Live. It works out perfectly."
Watch the exclusive video above to hear how Madix's impressive season 32 stint on Dancing With the Stars helped prepare her for Chicago. See Madix on Broadway from Jan. 29 through March 24.
And keep reading to learn more about Vanderpump Rules season 11, which premieres Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)