Katharine McPhee To Star in West End's "Waitress"

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Katharine-McPhee-Will-Star-In-The-West-Ends-WAITRESS-20181122      

[jbird5]

I had a ticket to see her in Bethlehem on 11/7. She cancelled due to “vocal issues”. The show was to be rescheduled for June but I just received an email saying she was having surgery and the whole tour was canceled. I suspected it was a bunch of BS.

[CindersGolightly]

So excited! Kat is my favorite Jenna. Hoping this production will result in a West End cast album!

[WestEndGal]

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Katharine-McPhee-Will-Star-In-The-West-Ends-WAITRESS-20181122"

I’m really happy about this, she’s a perfect Jenna for the West End. I guess Jessie Nelson was right when she said at Katharine’s final curtain call we’d maybe see Kat abroad with the show lol! 

Now I can get my Waitress fix in both London and New York, ahhhhh! 

 

[WestEndGal]

jbird5 said: "I had a ticket to see her in Bethlehem on 11/7. She cancelled due to “vocal issues”. The show was to be rescheduled for June but I just received an email saying she was having surgery and the whole tour was canceled. I suspected it was a bunch of BS."

No her voice is legitimately in a bad way and she’s been on vocal rest for like 2 months already and she is apparently considering surgery, maybe to sort everything out ready for the West End idk. It better be better by Feb next year! 

 

[WestEndGal]

CindersGolightly said: "So excited! Kat is my favorite Jenna. Hoping this production will result in a West End cast album!"

oh wow hadn’t thought about a West End cast album, that’d be amazing!

 

[jbird5]

WestEndGal said: "jbird5 said: "I had a ticket to see her in Bethlehem on 11/7. She cancelled due to “vocal issues”. The show was to be rescheduled for June but I just received an email saying she was having surgery and the whole tour was canceled. I suspected it was a bunch of BS."

No her voice is legitimately in a bad way and she’s been on vocal rest for like 2 months alreadyand she is apparently considering surgery, maybe to sort everything out ready for the West End idk. It better be better by Feb next year!

"

Previews start Feb 8 which means rehearsals should be starting in just over a month.  I love Kat, but this doesn’t hold water.  She sounded amazing when I saw her in August.  I’m glad she’s okay.

[WestEndGal]

jbird5 said: "WestEndGal said: "jbird5 said: "I had a ticket to see her in Bethlehem on 11/7. She cancelled due to “vocal issues”. The show was to be rescheduled for June but I just received an email saying she was having surgery and the whole tour was canceled. I suspected it was a bunch of BS."

No her voice is legitimately in a bad way and she’s been on vocal rest for like 2 months alreadyand she is apparently considering surgery, maybe to sort everything out ready for the West End idk. It better be better by Feb next year!

"

Previews start Feb 8 which means rehearsals should be starting in just over a month. I love Kat, but this doesn’t hold water. She sounded amazing when I saw her in August. I’m glad she’s okay."

I’m pretty sure there’s no conspiracy happening here lol! She legitimately got vocal issues (vocal hemmorages) and has been on vocal rest for over a month, which is why she cancelled her tour, and which is why she might now be having surgery.

I don’t know when Katharine will be starting rehearsals etc (and she probably doesn’t need to as extensively as she already knows the role) but I’m assuming she thinks everything will have healed by next year. 

 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Wow! I thought it would be Sara! Serious kudos to her

[SomeOtherMe]

Here's to hoping they'll be making a London cast recording.

[yankeefan7]

I had tickets to see her in Charlotte NC and it got cancelled due to vocal issues also. First, I was told they were going to reschedule in 2019 and then later got refund. She said in text that she was going to reschedule when she got better. After reading this thread, I think the vocal rest may have bit of an excuse for poor ticket sales.

[Gizmo6]

Meh 

I don't think we need McPhee to transfer with the show, many West End ladies could of originated the West End Jenna. 

I like McPhee loved Smash but don't see why she's a draw for a West End crowd. 

[SomeOtherMe]

Gizmo6 said: "Meh

I don't think we need McPhee to transfer with the show, many West End ladies could of originated the West End Jenna.

I like McPhee loved Smash but don't see why she's a draw for a West End crowd."
 

People tend to forget that theatre is a business. "Waitress" is not guaranteed to be a success in the UK and they want to raise those chances any way they can. Katharine may not be a huge mainstream star, but she is known enough to where more people will be interested in seeing the show simply because she's in it. I'm sure once she leaves, they'll start to hire British actresses.

[BareillesOwnsMe]

Oh wow yessss to this news! She was soooo great as Jenna when I saw her, she’ll smash it in London (excuse the pun lol). Ugh I still have chills over her She Used To Be Mine! I personally don’t have any issue that they chose an American actress they know can do the role and do it well. Brits performing as leads on Broadway and  Americans performing in the West End isn’t a new thing so unless people apply this argument for everyone then I don’t have an issue. And for all we know maybe they looked at a load of British actresses (Sara was recently in the London auditioning people) but just didn’t find the right one, for whatever reason. 

 

[bryan2]

Katherine is great in this and I heard that Smash is well known in the UK. I am glad and hope they record this

[rjm516]

I'm so glad she's cast because I can't think of any West End stars that could do the score justice. I mean even our most celebrated leading lady of the year, Rosalie Craig, isn't a powerhouse vocalist. 

[Zinone]

bryan2 said: "Katherine is great in this and I heard that Smash is well known in the UK. I am glad and hope they record this"

It's well-known by musical theatre nerds, and that's about it! 

[CT2NYC]

According to this tweet, she's doing the show for only 3 months:

https://twitter.com/katharinemcphee/status/1067876080932069378

[broadwayboy223]

Cant say I'm surprised with her vocal troubles. She could probably only handle about three months

[rjm516]

Other cast members were announced and it's kind of meh. Just not exciting. Baldwin is fine but I'm kind of disappointed they didn't choose to make Dawn Asian like in the original cast, especially since it's freaking London and there are tons of talented performers of color. Eager to see who is cast as Ogie

[qolbinau]

I wonder how they will handle absences. Started to see marketing and they are clearly trying to bank on her name. But will they actually care about consumers if she is sick? In typical west end fashion, they won’t.

[CindersGolightly]

What do you suppose the chances are of us getting a new cast recording?

[natashalost]

The casting of Marisha Wallace as Becky is just sooo perfect! Can’t wait.

[SomeOtherMe]

CindersGolightly said: "What do you suppose the chances are of us getting a new cast recording?"

I'd imagine it's probably a 50/50 chance, at this point, though I'm absolutely hoping we get one. The fact that it is an entirely new cast and Katharine is a "name" probably raise it's chances, if only slightly.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Okay. This right here. This is going to be adorable.

30 Rock Star Jack McBrayer Will Play Ogie In West End WAITRESS