Though Waitress will close on Broadway on January 5, 2020, fans of the musical can catch its composer Sara Bareilles in the London production. The performer will make her West End debut alongside Tony winner Gavin Creel early next year. The pair will play a limited run as Jenna and Dr. Pomatter from January 27, 2020 through March 7 at the Adelphi Theatre. Lucie Jones and David Hunter will return to the roles of Jenna and Dr. Pomatter on March 9.
Bareilles previously starred as Jenna in the hit musical on Broadway for which she penned the score. In addition to her Tony nomination for composing Waitress, she was nominated for writing the SpongeBob SquarePants act-two opener "Poor Pirates." Creel earned a 2017 Tony Award for his turn as Cornelius Hackl in the recent revival of Hello, Dolly! His other Broadway credits include Tony-nommed turns in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hair as well as performances in La Cage aux Folles and She Loves Me. He also reprised his Olivier-winning performance as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon on Broadway.
Based on the 2007 film by the late Adrienne Shelly, Waitress follows Jenna, a pregnant waitress in the south trapped in an abusive marriage and looking for a happy ending. She finds relief—and potentially that happy ending—by making creatively titled pies and forming a romance with an unlikely newcomer.
The Broadway production of Waitress is playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre through January 5, 2020. See Bareilles' announcement about the limited engagement below.
Sweetest announcement alert! Thrilled to share that I’m headed over the pond to play Jenna with my #WaitressLondon family for 6 weeks starting 1/27 in the West End! & my bestie @gavincreelofficail is joining me to make it even sweeter! Sugar Butter London! https://t.co/Gnqwwce9YZ pic.twitter.com/vhEFu00RYS
— Sara Bareilles (@SaraBareilles) November 4, 2019