Tony Winner John Cullum to Join WAITRESS as 'Joe'

The producers of the smash hit Waitress have announced that on October 5, 2017, Tony Award winner John Cullum will join the Broadway musical in the role of Joe, the cantankerous owner of Joe's Pie Diner, home to the titular pie-maker's extraordinary confections.

This marks John Cullum's 29th Broadway production in a remarkable career spanning more than half a century.

Two-time Tony Award-winner John Cullum is celebrating his 57th year on Broadway since his debut in Camelot. He subsequently starred in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, and received Tony Awards for Shenandoah and On the Twentieth Century.

His varied list of Broadway musical credits includes 110 in the Shade, 1776, Man of La Mancha, Aspects of Love, The Scottsboro Boys, Show Boat and Urinetown. Drama credits include Richard Burton's Hamlet (televised live on NBC), Deathtrap; Doubles; You Never Can Tell; Private Lives; Cymbeline; August: Osage County; All My Sons; Old Money; and Casa Valentina, which marked the first time Mr. Cullum wore a dress and heels. On film, John Most notably recreated his role in1776. Other film appearances include Kill Your Darlings, The Night Listener, The Notorious Bettie Page, All the Way Home, The Secret Life of Algernon, and Hawaii. He is still recognized as Holling the Bartender from the television series "Northern Exposure," as well as Mark Grant's father on "ER." His numerous recurring and guest roles most notably include "Law & Order" (both the mothership and "SVU"), "The Middle," "30 Rock," "Mad Men," "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," and "Madam Secretary." John was inducted into the Theater Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Waitress tells the story of Jenna, an expert, small-town pie maker at Joe's Pie Diner, who dreams of a way out of her loveless marriage with her husband Earl. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor 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 currently stars Betsy Wolfe as Jenna, with Drama Desk nominee Eric Anderson (Cal), Maia Nkenge Wilson (Becky), Tony Award nominee Christopher Fitzgerald (Ogie),Drew Gehling (Dr. Pomatter), Caitlin Houlahan (Dawn), Larry Marshall (Joe), Will Swenson (Earl), Victoria Collett, Dayna Jarae Dantzler, Kayla Davion, Tyrone Davis, Jr., Matt DeAngelis, Law Terrell Dunford, Katie Grober, Molly Hager, Molly Jobe, Brandon Kalm, Max Kumangai, Anastacia McCleskey, and Stephanie Torns.

The smash hit musical offers $40 general rush tickets for every performance, available in-person daily at the Brooks Atkinson box office. A limited number of rush tickets are available on the day of the performance only. First come, first served. The box office opens at 10am Tuesdays-Saturdays and at Noon on Sundays. Rush tickets are limited to two (2) per person and can be purchased with cash or credit.

Now in its second smash year on Broadway, Waitress begins its US national tour at Cleveland's Playhouse Square this October.

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