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.
Under Diane Paulus' direction, the show at times seems to struggle to fill the stage. The book, written by Jessie Nelson and based on the film script, is nicely witty. But the choreography, by Lorin Latarro, seems an afterthought, and the songs, by the Grammy-winning artist Sara Bareilles, are tuneful, yet often strangely reticent, as though meant to be sung quietly to oneself rather than loudly before a crowd. Bad Idea, a duet between Jenna and Dr Pomatter, is a nicely rowdy exception, as is Jenna's heartfelt She Used to Be Mine. (One song for Ogie, Never Getting Rid of Me, is a showstopper; the other, I Love You Like a Table, a cheerful muddle.)
Sugar, butter, flour - there are plenty of those ingredients, particularly the sweet stuff, in the musical Waitress, which opened Sunday night at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre. They mix in a refrain heard throughout the production, as well as the elaborate pies the show's heroine crafts. And much like those desserts, Waitress is a sweet slice of a show that shines with the help of a star ingredient: Tony winner Jessie Mueller.
| 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 |
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