CHICAGO Will Host 'Hart To Heart' Post-Show Talkback with Ariana Madix and Jessel Taank

Chicago on Broadway will host "HART TO HEART", a post-performance talkback in partnership with Meta.

All audience members who have tickets to the Tuesday, March 5th performance are invited to stay after the show for a conversation and Q&A in the theater with Ariana Madix (Roxie Hart) and “Real Housewives of New York” cast member Jessel Taank. They’ll talk about Ariana's Broadway debut, being a female business owner, the themes of resilience and showbiz, and will even take fan questions. 

Fans are invited to submit questions ahead of time via Threads by sending them to @ChicagoMusical.

Ariana Madix recently extended in her role as “Roxie Hart” through April 7 at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St., NYC). Chicago is Broadway’s longest running American musical in Broadway history. 

 About Jessel Taank

Jessel Taank is a New York based fashion publicist and brand consultant, known for thinking outside the box and putting creative spins on otherwise traditional approaches to PR while challenging the status quo.

A graduate of the prestigious Kings College in London, where she obtained a degree in English and Journalism, Jessel grew up surrounded by the influences of her grandfather’s bespoke tailoring business and her mother’s passion for art and design, inspiring her to forge a career in fashion soon after graduation.

Working for Conde Nast International, Stella McCartney, Celine, Victoria Beckham, Michael Kors and Westfield, where she led the strategic direction of thirty-three commercial retail properties and led partnerships with the likes of KKW Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Business of Fashion and Eataly, Jessel has shaped the pathways of growth for several iconic brands in the industry.  

Born to an immigrant family in London, England, Jessel was raised in a tight knit but strict Indian household. Growing up, she aspired to chase the American Dream, and she hoped to seize it in New York. Motivated by the drive and ambition of her uncles, Max and Nitin Vadukul, who fled the prospect of their arranged marriages to pursue successful careers as photographers in Manhattan, both breaking ground in the rarified and exclusionary fields of fashion and editorial photography as lensman hailing from Indian descent, she eventually followed in their footsteps to begin her career in the fashion capital of the world.

Jessel met her husband, a financier named Pavit Randhawa, after they were introduced by a mutual friend at a bar in the Lower East Side. Romance didn’t spark immediately and they remained close friends for years before beginning to date seriously. They were married in Mexico in 2014.

Jessel currently runs a boutique agency called The Know that specializes in consulting newly formed brands. She is also busy launching her own e-commerce platform that aims to make South East Asian fashion more accessible. She is a committed supporter of Citta, an organization founded by artist and anthropologist, Michael Daube that empowers girls and young women in India through schooling, community support and traditional craft.

Jessel and Pavit reside in Chelsea with their twin boys, Kai & Rio. 

About Ariana Madix

Ariana Madix has paved her own unique path in the world of entertainment and reality TV. Born and raised in Melbourne, FL, Ariana began performing as soon as she could walk. After a successful competitive equestrian career and winning two national dance championships, this talented newcomer received Bachelor’s degrees in Theatre and Broadcast Communications from Flagler College. It wasn’t long before Ariana set out to pursue her dream and moved to New York City where she became a part of the sketch comedy world. Working extensively with College Humor, MTV, and ESPN helped to solidify Ariana’s quick dry wit and biting sarcasm. Madix is now based in Los Angeles, has a diverse resume in film & tv including Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules." Turning her "survival job" as a bartender into an enterprise, Ariana's path is truly unique. She was a finalist on season 32 of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars.”  Variety named her one of the Most Powerful Women in Reality TV and her book Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches was recently named a New York Times best-seller.