Katharine McPhee, star of the hit TV series Smash, will make her Broadway debut on April 10, 2018 when she takes over the role of Jenna. She will remain with the show through June 17th. McPhee found stardom on the television competition American Idol (Season 5), where she proved to be a popular vocalist. Subsequently, her recording career sky-rocketed and her acting career was ignited.
Katharine McPhee has had numerous songs and albums on Billboard’s pop, jazz, holiday, and adult-contemporary charts. Her latest album of timeless American standards “I Fall in Love Too Easily” was released by BMG in 2017. She took audiences by storm with the 2013 NBC-TV musical series, Smash about the making of a Broadway musical. Katharine has long dreamed of appearing on Broadway, and wishes to thank her friends, family, and especially her fellow Waitress cast members for this life changing opportunity.
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 Sara 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.