Waitress (Musical)
| Waitress | |
|---|---|
| Music | Sara Bareilles |
| Lyrics | Sara Bareilles |
| Book | Jessie Nelson |
| Setting | American South |
| Basis | Waitress (film) |
| Premiere | April 24, 2016 – Brooks Atkinson Theatre |
| Productions |
2015 American Repertory Theater 2016 Broadway |
Waitress is a musical with the libretto by Jessie Nelson and theatrical score by Sara Bareilles. The musical is based on the film of the same name. After premiering at the American Repertory Theater in 2015, the musical opens on Broadway in March 2016.
Productions
The musical premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, running from August 2, 2015 to September 27, 2015.[1][2][3]
The musical is directed by Diane Paulus and stars Jessie Mueller. Choreography is by Lorin Latarro, the sets by Scott Pask, and costumes are by Suttirat Anne Larlarb.[4]
The musical is expected to open on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, with previews starting on March 25, 2016, and officially on April 24.[5]
Synopsis
According to the musical's official site, Jenna Hunterson is "a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna fears she may have to abandon the dream of opening her own pie shop forever… until a baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s handsome new doctor offer her a tempting recipe for happiness. Supported by her quirky crew of fellow waitresses and loyal customers, Jenna summons the secret ingredient she’s been missing all along – courage."[6]
Making History
With music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, book by Jessie Nelson, choreography by Lorin Latarro, and direction by Diane Paulus, Waitress makes history in Broadway with the four top creative spots in a show being filled by four women.[6][7] Sara Bareilles said she was proud to be part of an all-female team: "It's really fun to be an example of the way it can look. We're a bunch of women who are deeply committed to finding a way to build a unified vision."[7] Robert Viagas noted that the "achievement gets an asterisk, however, since the 1978 Broadway musical Runaways had book, music, lyrics, choreography and direction solely by one woman, Elizabeth Swados." Viagas further added that the costume designer (Suttirat Larlarb) and musical director (Nadia DiGiallonardo) were women.[8]
Characters and original cast
Source: Playbill [9]
The characters and original cast:
| Character | American Repertory Theater (2015) | Original Broadway Cast (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Jenna | Jessie Mueller | |
| Dr. Pomatter | Drew Gehling | |
| Earl | Joe Tippett | Nick Cordero |
| Becky | Keala Settle | |
| Dawn | Jeanna de Waal | Kimiko Glenn |
| Joe | Dakin Matthews | |
| Ogie | Jeremy Morse | Christopher Fitzgerald |
| Cal | Eric Anderson | |
| Lulu | Giana Ribeiro, Addison Oken | |
References
- ↑ Viagas, Robert and Gans, Andrew. "Sara Bareilles' Waitress Musical, Starring Jessie Mueller, Reveals Complete Cast" Playbill, June 22, 2015
- ↑ Viagas, Robert and Gans, Andrew. "Sara Bareilles' Waitress Musical, Starring Jessie Mueller, Premieres Tonight" Playbill, August 2, 2015
- ↑ "Waitress Listing" AmericanRepertoryTheater.org, accessed January 19, 2016
- ↑ "'Waitress' Broadway" playbillvault.com, accessed January 21, 2016
- ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Sara Bareilles' Waitress, Starring Jessie Mueller, Sets Broadway Opening Night" Playbill, October 2, 2015
- 1 2 "Waitress: A New Musical | Official Broadway Site". Waitress: A New Musical. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- 1 2 Kennedy, Mark (December 1, 2015). "Broadway musical 'Waitress' makes history with its lineup". The Big Story. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Broadway-Bound Musical 'Waitress' Is Going to Make Some History" playbill.com, December 1, 2015
- ↑ Viagas, Robert. " 'Bullets Over Broadway' Star Nick Cordero Joins Cast of Broadway-Bound 'Waitress'" Playbill, January 12, 2016