Waitress Is Officially a Hit: Recoups After 10 Months on Broadway

All the investors in the Broadway musical Waitress got their slices of the pie this week when the show announced that it has recouped its entire $12 million investment after less than ten months at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where the Tony-nominated musical continues.

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, a score by five-time Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro, and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus. The show is also only the second musical (along with Hamilton) from the 2015–16 season to reach profitability so far. Waitress is produced by Barry and Fran Weissler and Norton and Elayne Herrick.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A SHOW RECOUPS?

Waitress began performances on March 25, 2016, and opened April 24. The show was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. The show is scheduled to begin its U.S. national tour at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square this October.

The current Broadway cast is led by the Tony-nominated Jessie Mueller in the central role of Jenna, ”an expert pie maker in a small town, who dreams of a way out of her loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor 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.”

Also in the current cast: Charity Angél Dawson (Becky), Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald (Ogie), Drew Gehling (Dr. Pomatter), Caitlin Houlahan (Dawn), Dakin Matthews (Joe), and William Popp (Earl), with Cate Elefante, Thay Floyd, Henry Gottfried, Molly Hager, Aisha Jackson, Molly Jobe, Max Kumangai, Ella Dane Morgan, Jeremy Morse, Olivia Phillip, Stephanie Torns, and Ryan Vasquez.

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