Waitress on Broadway

Ciara Renée (Frozen) and Tony nominee Joshua Henry (Carousel, Violet) are heading to the diner and will take over the roles of Jenna and Dr. Pomatter. Renée will begin performances on November 25 while Henry will start her shift on November 29.

Featuring music and lyrics by Grammy® winner Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave)! The story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage, Waitress features a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Jagged Little Pill, Pippin). But remember, the diner is only open through January 9. So get tickets now!

Find out what baking can do at Waitress on Broadway! Waitress tickets in New York are on sale now.

The Waitress musical follows Jenna, a small-town waitress who bakes pies to escape her anguish at home. When Jenna finds out she’s pregnant with her abusive husband’s baby, her fellow waitresses and best friends Becky and Dawn want to do anything they can to help her get out of her bad situation. Dr. Pomatter, her new gynecologist also offers moral support, with the pair striking up an unexpected romance. Jenna’s also inspired to enter a pie making contest in the hopes of winning a large cash prize and escaping with her child. Jenna plucks up the courage to start a new life, but realizes how her home comforts can improve too.

Based on Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 film starring Keri Russell, Waitress on Broadway tells an emotional story about the power of female friendship and family. The show marks the Broadway composing debut of singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, with a soulful score that will empower you to love yourself and make the change you need to make in your life. Her original score features comical songs, heartfelt duets, and soaring ballads that mix a traditional Broadway-pop style with Southern flair.

Directed by Diane Paulus and featuring a book by Jessie Nelson, the show was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2016, including Best Musical, and audiences flocked to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre for over three years. Now, after just over a year away, Waitress returns to Broadway, this time at the Barrymore Theatre. So why not bite into Waitress in New York? After all, it only takes a taste before you’ll fall for these characters — and their pie.

What To Watch For

• The future is female! Waitress on Broadway is the first show in Broadway musical history to have an all-female creative team, featuring director Diane Paulus, composer/lyricist Sara Bareilles, and book writer Jessie Nelson.
• Did you know the scent of freshly-baked pies wafts around the auditorium? A real apple pie bakes in a convection oven in the theatre at the beginning of each show for an authentic aroma, and miniature pies in mason jars are sold at the concession stand before the show and at intermission. Stacy Donnelly is the pie consultant for the show.
• Thirty-two real pies are onstage each week, and each pie lasts about 3-4 days, before a crew member takes it home to enjoy.
• Composer Sara Bareilles reprised the role of Jenna at the start of the Waitress Broadway revival. She first played the role in spring 2017, and has also released an album of her singing the show’s score called What’s Inside: Songs from Waitress.
• Wish you could be a baker like Jenna? Now you can! There is an official cookbook for the show called Sugar, Butter, Flour: The Waitress Pie Book, and it features 40 different recipes, such as Big Guy Strawberry Pie and My Husband’s a Jerk Pie.
• After original cast member Nick Cordero died of Covid-19 in 2020, the onstage menu board was updated to include "A Big Ol' Slice of Live Your Life Pie," named after Cordero's original song "Live Your Life." The menu item will be included on all future productions of Waitress on tour and beyond.