Waitress Is Removed from PBS' Great Performances Broadcast Schedule

The live capture of the musical Waitress, which was set to air on PBS on November 15 as part of the Great Performances series, has been removed from the program’s fall lineup. Sara Bareilles, the musical’s Tony-nominated composer, responded to the news on Instagram with words of comfort: “Fear not babes! We❤️ @pbs and things find their way! No worries.”

Waitress was filmed during its return Broadway engagement, which opened after the pandemic shutdown on September 2, 2021. Bareilles led the cast as Jenna alongside Drew Gehling, Eric Anderson, Charity Angél Dawson, Christopher Fitzgerald, Caitlin Houlahan, Dakin Matthews and Joe Tippett. The film debuted in 2023 at the Tribeca Film Festival. It was subsequently acquired by the independent film studio Bleecker Street, and in partnership with entertainment content provider Fathom Events, the film was released in cinemas on December 7, 2023. 

Based on the film by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress features a book by Jessie Nelson, direction by Diane Paulus and choreography by Lorin Latarro. The musical originally opened on Broadway on April 24, 2016, running through January 5, 2020, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre (renamed the Lena Horne Theatre). The production earned four 2016 Tony nominations, including Best Musical.