GLEE's Jenna Ushkowitz Will Step in for Kimiko Glenn in Broadway's WAITRESS

The producers of the Broadway hit Waitress announced today that Jenna Ushkowitz ("Glee") will take over the role of Dawn from July 29 while Kimiko Glenn takes a leave of absence.

Jenna Ushkowitz is best known for playing Tina Cohen-Chang on the Emmy nominated FOX TV series, "Glee." She made her Broadway debut at age nine in the 1996 revival of The King and I and was in the original production of Spring Awakening where she performed the roles of Ilse, Martha, Anna and Thea. She will be soon be seen starring in Tom Gustafson's musical movie, Hello, Again. Jenna also starred in Hairat the Hollywood Bowl alongside Kristen Bell, Amber Riley and SARAH HYLANd, and at Pittsburgh CLO as Julia in The Wedding Singer. She served as the executive producer of the documentary film "Twinsters,"which premiered at Sundance and SXSW. Her first memoir, "Choosing Glee" was published in 2013; she subsequently launched a podcast called "Infinite Positivities" on which she takes chapters from the book and speaks with actors, authors and experts about how to live life with a positive outlook. Baseball fans may know her as the first host of "Yankees on Deck," a behind-the-scenes show for young audiences on the YES! Network. Her independent film credits include Don Gaille'sBabyface, and Georgia Lee's Educated.

Waitress began performances on March 25 and opened April 24 at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). It regularly grosses over $1 million a week in ticket sales and has broken Brooks Atkinson Theatre box office records.

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 byJessie Nelson, a score by five-time Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus.

Producers have announced that the national tour of the acclaimed new musical will begin at Cleveland's Playhouse Square on October 17, 2017.

Produced by Sara Bareilles and Neal Avron, the cast album was released on DMI Soundtracks and distributed by Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corporation.

Waitress was nominated for four Outer Critics' Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical; two Drama League Award Nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical; six Drama Desk Nominations, including Outstanding Musical; and four Tony Award Nominations, including Best Musical.

Waitress tells the story of Jenna (Jessie Mueller), an expert pie maker in a small town, who dreams of a way out of her loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor (Drew Gehling) may offer her a chance at a new life, while her fellow Waitresses (Jenna Ushkowitz and Keala Settle) 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 is produced on Broadway by Barry and Fran Weissler and Norton and Elayne Herrick.