Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts that mirror her topsy-turvy life such as "The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie" and "Betrayed By My Eggs Pie." When a baking contest in a nearby county - and a satisfying encounter with someone new - shows Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness.
Brought to life by a groundbreaking, all-female creative team, this Tony Award-nominated hit features original music and lyrics by 6-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles ("Love Song," "Brave"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland).
"Waitress is a little slice of heaven!" says Entertainment Weekly, and is "sweet, sassy and passionate," according to New York Magazine. Don't miss this uplifting and hilarious musical.
The distinctions here include a rousing, comfort-food pop score by Sara Bareilles, the singer-songwriter in her confident Broadway composing debut, and the can't-miss casting of Jessie Mueller as Jenna. Mueller, whose down-to-earth authenticity as Carole King in 'Beautiful' earned her a 2014 Tony, brings an unforced honesty and creamy, plaintive, intricately colored voice to a character who keeps things real when, all around her, things threaten to become showbiz pat.
Echoing a weakness in the original screen source, director Diane Paulus and choreographer Lorin Latarro could be criticized for overplaying the whimsy - there's so much going on in scene transitions, with ensemble members gliding around delivering pies, aprons and baking ingredients, that it all becomes a tad cutesy and distracting. But the material is anchored at every step by Bareilles' melodious pop score and Mueller's supremely natural performance as Jenna. While the stock characters that surround her may be familiar, they're a winsome bunch played by sterling performers. As her fellow waitresses - feisty, sass-mouthed Becky and mousy, borderline-OCD Dawn - Keala Settle and Kimiko Glenn are treasures, the dynamic among the three of them revealing the material's debt to Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
2015 | Boston |
American Repertory Theater World Premiere Production Boston |
2016 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2017 | US Tour |
First National Tour US Tour |
2019 | West End |
Original West End Production West End |
2021 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2021 | US Tour |
US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Jessie Mueller |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Jessie Nelson |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Christopher Fitzgerald |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Sara Bareilles |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Sara Bareilles |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Waitress |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jessie Meuller |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Waitress |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Jessie Mueller |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Christopher Fitzgerald |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Waitress |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score (Broadway or off-Broadway) | Sara Bareilles |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Waitress |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Christopher Fitzgerald |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Jessie Mueller |
Videos