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Jennifer Nettles to Replace Sara Bareilles in Waitress

There’s a new waitress starting her shift! Jennifer Nettles will take on the role of Jenna, replacing Sara Bareilles, in Waitress, beginning October 19 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Bareilles will perform her final show on October 17.

Nettles returns to Broadway after previously playing the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2015. The Grammy-winning star is known to be a long-time supporter of theatre, having just released an album fully comprised of musical show tunes entitled Always Like New this past summer.


In addition to Nettles, Maeiesha McQueen will join the cast as Becky along with Ashley Blanchet as Dawn on October 5, taking over from current cast members Charity Angel Dawson and Caitlin Houlahan. The show currently stars Sara Bareilles (Jenna), Eric Anderson (Cal) Charity Angel Dawson (Becky), Christopher Fitzgerald (Ogie), Drew Gehling (Dr. Pomatter), Caitlin Houlahan (Dawn), Dakin Matthews (Joe), and Joe Tippett (Earl).

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.

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 waitresses 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.

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