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.
It's easy as pie to fall for 'Waitress,' a sweet comic musical returning Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller ('Beautiful') to Broadway. Pop singer Sara Bareilles works a recurring chorus of those three ingredients, above, into many of the softly textured songs here, holding out the promise of scrumptious things to come.
...something odd happens to this pie-crust thin story when Jenna, the resolute heroine, becomes Jenny, the singing doormat. Diane Paulus's direction and Jessie Nelson's book never let us forget that Jenna is victim, first and foremost. And so was her loving mother, who appears as a ghost, baking pies when she isn't being beaten up by her own thug of a husband....The result of all this marital and on-the-job abuse is that the men's behavior, past and present, overwhelms the show. The first act is well on its way to breaking out the razor blades when a very supporting character, played by Christopher Fitzgerald, lifts the show and proceeds to steal it....Fitzgerald is one of those great Broadway character actors who also has the acting chops and charisma to carry a show, but rarely gets the opportunity. (He dazzled in the lead role in the Ahmanson Theater's production of 'Minsky's,' which sadly never made it to Broadway.)
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 |
Videos