Sara Bareilles' Beloved Musical WAITRESS Returns To Playhouse Square For Intimate Run In Historic Hanna Theatre

Sara Bareilles' hit musical Waitress returns to Playhouse Square this May for a limited 5-week engagement at the intimate 550-seat Hanna Theatre. Playhouse Square launched the first national Waitress tour at the Connor Palace in 2017.

The Hanna Theatre presents the show's original creative team with the opportunity to enhance aspects of the production to create an even more enveloping experience for audiences. Cleveland is currently one of only two cities presenting this new version. Casting is expected to be announced soon.

"The return of Waitress as a Huntington Bank Featured performance will serve up an especially sweet experience for our audiences this summer," enthused Playhouse Square CEO Gina Vernaci. Pre-sales for Playhouse Square Donors begin tomorrow, February 8 and for Season Ticket Holders on Monday, February 21. The public on-sale is Wednesday, March 2. Tickets start at $49.

Based on 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, music and lyrics by Grammy Winner and Tony and Emmy Award-nominated Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus.

The Waitress design team features sets by Tony Award-winner Scott Pask, costumes by Suttirat Anne Larlarb, lighting by Tony Award-winner Christopher Akerlind and sound by Tony Award-nominee Jonathan Deans. The music supervisor is Nadia DiGiallonardo. Casting is by Telsey + Company.

Debuting in April 2016, Waitress is one of the longest-running shows in recent Broadway history, playing more than 1500 performances at The Brooks Atkinson Theatre. The musical recouped its production investment in less than ten months -- Waitress and Hamilton were the only new musicals from the 2015-2016 Broadway season that went into profit that year.

Waitress has also played successful productions on US National Tours, London's West End, and worldwide. New international productions, including a UK tour, are heading out as local pandemic restrictions ease.

Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When a baking contest in a nearby county offers her a chance at escape, Jenna fights to reclaim a long-forgotten part of herself. Through the support of her fellow Waitress's and an unexpected romance, Jenna begins to find the courage to take a long-abandoned dream off the shelf. Waitress celebrates the power of friendship, dreams, the family we choose, and the beauty of a well-baked pie.

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

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