Jennifer Nettles just began her shift at the diner over at Waitress, taking over the role of Jenna from composer Sara Bareilles. Get a glimpse at the Grammy winner’s performance, now happening nightly at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, as she performs “What Baking Can Do,” one of the show’s most beloved songs.
In addition to Nettles, Erich Bergen, Nik Dodani and Ben Thompson joined the company on Tuesday, October 19. The rest of the company includes Eric Anderson as Cal, Ashley Blanchet as Dawn, Dakin Matthews as Joe, and Maiesha McQueen as Becky, alongside Tyrone Davis, Jr., Matt DeAngelis, Andrew Fitch, Henry Gottfried, Molly Jobe, Emily Koch, Anastacia McCleskey, Gerianne Pérez, Curtis Thomas, Stephanie Torns, and Nyla Watson.
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.’
Get a first look at Nettles as Jenna below.
