Waitress Production Still - H 2015
Jeremy DanielOn the menu for Waitress: a Broadway breakthrough.
The upcoming musical adaptation of the 2007 indie film will be the first-ever Broadway musical with an all-female creative team.
A musical’s traditional creative team consists of its book writer, composer, choreographer and director. Waitress has a book by Jessie Nelson, music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, direction by Diane Paulus and choreography by the team’s new addition, Lorin Latarro.
“It’s a historic and long overdue moment for Broadway,” said Paulus in a statement, “and I’m honored to be working alongside such passionate and inspiring women.”
An earlier precedent was set by the 1978 Broadway musical Runaways, which featured a book, score, choreography and direction solely by Elizabeth Swados. And earlier this year, Fun Home made history as the first musical written by an all-female team (book and score by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori) to win the top Tony — though that one was directed by Sam Gold and choreographed by Danny Mefford.
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The Broadway musical stars Jessie Mueller as Jenna, alongside fellow cast members Eric Anderson, Christopher Fitzgerald, Drew Gehling, Kimiko Glenn, Dakin Matthews and Keala Settle. It will be produced by Barry and Fran Weissler and Norton and Elayne Herrick, and begins previews March 25, 2016, before its April 24 opening at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
