Rosie O'Donnell as Abby Lee Miller in Dance Moms parody musical

Rosie O'Donnell and Kristin Chenoweth have taken on the roles of Abby Lee Miller and dance instructor Cathy Nesbitt-Stein in a new musical parody titled The Pyramid: An Unauthorized 'Dance Moms' Musical, which had its reading in New York City on Monday ^[1]. O'Donnell, 64, portrayed the notoriously demanding Miller, while Chenoweth, 58, played Nesbitt-Stein, who frequently clashed with Miller on the original Lifetime reality series that aired from 2011 to 2019.

The project, originally conceived as a social media concept by James Stryska and Isabel Grace, has evolved into a full-scale stage production with plans for a Broadway run, according to ^[1]. A Kickstarter campaign launched in August 2026 by producers Logan Clark and Tye Blue aims to fund the development.

O'Donnell, fresh off a two-week stint as narrator in The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway, teased the reading in a TikTok post, saying she was 'very excited' and loved the cast and crew, praising her co-star Larkin Reilly ^[1]. Fans reacted with delight, calling the casting 'necessary' and the project 'a fever dream'.

The parody musical draws from the real-life drama of the original show, including Miller’s 2023 federal prison sentence for bankruptcy fraud, which followed her departure from Dance Moms ^[1]. Nesbitt-Stein, who continues to run her Ohio-based studio, Candy Apples Dance Center, has not been involved in the project, though her character remains central to the satire.

Meanwhile, O'Donnell recently opened up about filming an intimate scene in the third season of And Just Like That..., admitting she found the experience 'horrifying' and 'a skill' to portray convincingly, especially with longtime friend Cynthia Nixon ^[1]. The series was canceled in 2025 after three seasons.

The success of the reading has fueled hopes for a full production, with fans demanding more from the creative team ^[1]. The possibility of a Broadway run remains unconfirmed, though the project has generated significant buzz. The story was first reported by Daily Mail Showbiz.