Waitress captured the imagination of anyone who roots for small-town underdogs when the movie was released in 2007. Written by the actress Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered shortly before it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Waitress follows the struggles of an expert pie maker at a Southern diner, played by Keri Russell, who’s stuck in a bad marriage with an unwanted pregnancy.
As Jenna dreams of opening her own pie shop, a baking contest with a $20,000 prize and handsome new doctor in town offer a possible way out of her troubles.
Dallas Theater Center is producing a musical adaptation of the film starring several of the company’s resident actors, including Tiffany Solano as the title character. Waitress: The Musical, which premiered in 2015, was written by pop singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and ran for almost four years on Broadway, garnering four Tony nominations, including for best musical and score. It was made into a film in 2023.
“Waitress is a perfect musical for spring,” says Kevin Moriarty, executive director of Dallas Theater Center. “Sara Bareilles’ wonderful score is beautifully paired with a hopeful story about love, finding strength and embracing motherhood.”
Details
March 29-April 20 at Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora St. $36-$125. dallastheatercenter.org.
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