This calls for a celebratory pie. “Waitress” has recouped its “$12 million capitalization costs, according to producers, less than 10 months after the show began previews in March,” Variety reports. The Broadway musical is adapted from Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 movie of the same name, starring Keri Russell (“The Americans”).
“Waitress” hails from an all-female team. Diana Paulus directs a book by Jessie Nelson and music by Sara Bareilles. Lorin Latarro served as choreographer. Tony winner Jessie Mueller plays Jenna, Russell’s role in the film, a waitress and pie baker who yearns to escape her abusive marriage.
Besides mega sensation “Hamilton,” “Waitress” is the only musical from the 2015–16 season to recoup, Variety reports. The production received four Tony Award nominations.
“I am passionate about young women and advocating for them, so it’s a great honor for me to tell a story about a female character, and it feels very near and dear to my heart,” Bareilles has said. “I get excited to think about who our audience might be, and I hope that young women come to see the show and feel like they see themselves on stage and they come away emboldened and emotionally moved by the story that they’ve seen.”
If you haven’t been able to see “Waitress” in NYC, you may be able to catch it on tour. The musical is hitting the road. A national tour kicks off at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square in October.
