// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders star overcomes stunt casting criticism
Reece Weaver's retirement from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders came as a shock to her squad and growing fan base
Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Reece Weaver has shelved her cowboy boots and swapped the football pitch for the stage as she steps into one of the most famous roles in the world.
Weaver was a breakout star of the Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, with her exit from the squad a major storyline of the third season.
Making her Broadway debut in the musical Chicago, she faced criticism that it was her profile, more than her talent, which landed her the role.
After much fan speculation, she officially stepped into the role of murderess Roxie Hart this week at New York's Ambassador Theatre.
"The audience loved her," says Sealy Sikes, who attended the opening night with her mum Tammy Pack.
Her mum's a big fan of the Netflix series, which follows the cheerleaders through gruelling auditions and training regimes as they compete for their spot dancing in one of the world's best known squads.
Sikes says she was less familiar with fan favourite Weaver before the curtain went up and was impressed with how she commanded the stage.
"She did a great job, she's a very big, charismatic actor.
"It was a little bit shaky at the beginning, but if I wasn't hyper aware that it was her first time, I wouldn't have even thought anything about it."