Ben Thompson Joins the Cast of WAITRESS Tonight

The producers of the hit Broadway musical Waitress have announced that Ben Thompson will join the cast in the role of Earl beginning tonight, February 27, 2018, opposite Sara Bareilles.

Thompson was most recently on Broadway in Matilda as Miss Trunchbull. His previous stage credits include Griffy in Holler if Ya Hear Me, Billy in Carrie, Rent Off-Broadway, and American Idiot. He can be seen as Yakov in the upcoming film The Seagull with Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss and Annette Bening. Thompson has appeared on "Law & Order: SVU," "Daredevil," and "BULL" as well as the films Freedom and The Greatest Showman.

Waitress tells the story of Jenna (Bareilles), an expert pie maker in a small town, who dreams of a way out of a loveless marriage with her husband Earl (Thompson). A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new physician, Dr. Pomatter, may offer her a chance at a new life, while her fellow Waitresses offer their own recipes to happiness. But Jenna must find the courage and strength within herself to rebuild her life. This new American musical celebrates friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.

Waitress opened April 24, 2016 at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre. 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 a book by Jessie Nelson, a score by six-time Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus.

Waitress is now in its second smash year on Broadway and on a national tour. Tickets for the Broadway production are available at Ticketmaster at 877-250-2929, online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre box office, 256 West 47th Street.

The producers of Waitress announced that they will celebrate National Women's History Month by hosting a month-long campaign in March. As the first Broadway musical with an all-female creative team, the production will celebrate women through a variety of efforts, including post-show talkbacks on women-centric themes, an educational social campaign, and fundraising efforts benefitting the National Women's History Museum in Washington D.C.

Waitress stars Sara Bareilles as Jenna, with Benny Elledge (Cal), Tony Award nominee Christopher Fitzgerald (Ogie), Drew Gehling (Dr. Pomatter), Caitlin Houlahan (Dawn), Ben Thompson (Earl), Lee Wilkof (Joe), NaTasha Yvette Williams (Becky), Victoria Collett, Dayna Jarae Dantzler, Kayla Davion, Tyrone Davis, Jr., Matt DeAngelis, Law Terrell Dunford, Andrew Fitch, Kate Grober, Molly Hager, Molly Jobe, Brandon Kalm, Anastacia McCleskey, and Stephanie Torns.

Waitress is produced on Broadway by Barry and Fran Weissler and Norton and Elayne Herrick.