The excitement of who will be appearing in the Broadway musical Waitress is ongoing. With the return of singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles to the musical she helped create, and Jason Mraz appearing alongside her as Dr. Pomatter, that excitement has been heightened in recent weeks. Good news for Waitress fans! Bareilles has extended her stay with the musical by an additional two-weeks, playing Jenna Hunterson through March 11, 2018. She will be sharing the stage with Mraz until he departs on February 11. Due to previous contractual obligations, Mraz will not be in the show on February 1 or 2. Drew Gehling, who originated the role of Dr. Pomatter on Broadway, will return to the role on February 13.
The duo has been breaking box office records at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Mraz and Bareilles have been a part of the theatre’s highest weekly gross ever, with $1,608,291.60 for the week ending January 21, and the highest-grossing single performance ever, with $217,571.00 on Saturday evening, January 20.
Beginning February 1, Waitress will celebrate Valentine’s Day for an entire month when they add a new flavor to the selection of mouth-watering pies sold during performances inside the theatre. The show’s pie consultant, Stacy Donnelly, has created the “Berry-Sweet Valentine’s Day Cheesecake,” a cheesecake-flavored pie with a hint of lemon and raspberries on top.
Waitress tells the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker in a small town, 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 physician, Dr. Pomatter, 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 features a score by Grammy and Tony-nominated composer Bareilles, a book by Jessie Nelson, adapted from 2007 screenplay by Adrienne Shelly. The musical opened at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre in April of 2016. Diane Paulus (Pippin, Hair) directed the show with choreography by Chase Brock.
Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.