WAITRESS' Diane Paulus Combines Her Passions For Social Activism and Theatre

"The biggest resistance and frustration to me is when people look at musicals and think they're not serious theatre. I think there's an idea in America, especially among the intellectual elite, that musicals are commercial and entertainment. Let's not write off the power of the musical. Not to mention, it's a uniquely American form that we pioneered and should be proud of."

Since making her Broadway debut with a revival of HAIR that took a serious look at 1960s counter-culture, Diane Paulus has shown herself to be one of musical theatre's strongest interpretive directors. From her controversially revised PORGY AND BESS, to her cirque-inspired PIPPIN to the current FINDING NEVERLAND, her productions continually show the mark of firm and interesting guidance.

That firm guidance is once again present in her newest Broadway musical, Jessie Nelson and Sara Bareilles' stage version of Adrienne Shelly's indie film, Waitress.

"I feel that this is a musical that, for so many reasons, is an important one," she tells The Interval.

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Based upon the 2007 motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress is the first Broadway musical in history to have four women in the four top creative team spots, with book by Jessie Nelson, score by Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction byDiane Paulus. Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster.com at 877-250-2929 or online at Ticketmaster.com.