Katharine McPhee as Jenna in Waitress

Katharine McPhee returns to Broadway in Waitress

Katharine McPhee's second limited engagement in Waitress runs through to August 19!

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

"Opening Up" again! "American Idol" and "Smash" star Katharine McPhee reprises her performance as the leading role of Jenna in Broadway's hit musical Waitress at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre tonight and will remain with the production through to August 19, 2018.

Ms. McPhee previously played a Broadway debut engagement as Jenna from April 10 through to June 17, 2018. She rose to fame as runner-up on the fifth season of "American Idol" in 2006 and subsequently released five studio albums. On television, she is known for her leading role as Karen Cartwright in NBC's Broadway-centric musical series "Smash" and she can also currently be seen as Paige Dineen in the CBS TV series "Scorpion". Read our Katharine McPhee interview.

She joins a cast that includes Erich Bergen (as Dr. Pomatter), NaTasha Yvette Williams (as Becky), Caitlin Houlahan (as Dawn), Ben Thompson (as Earl), Steve Vinovich (as Joe), Benny Elledge (as Cal), and Tony Award nominee Christopher Fitzgerald (as Ogie).

Waitress officially opened on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on 24 April 2016, following previews from 25 March.

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 six-time Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus.

Synopsis: "Based on the 2007 motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, the musical follows Jenna - a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna fears she may have to abandon the dream of opening her own pie shop forever... until a baking contest in a nearby county and the town's handsome new doctor offer her a tempting recipe for happiness. Supported by her quirky crew of fellow waitresses and loyal customers, Jenna summons the secret ingredient she's been missing all along - courage."

The creative team behind ​Waitress features scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Suttirat Larlarb, lighting design by Christopher Akerlind and sound design by Jonathan Deans.

​Waitress is produced on Broadway by Barry & Fran Weissler and Norton & Elayne Herrick.

Waitress Tickets are available now for performances through to March 31, 2019.

(Photo by Matthew Murphy)

Originally published on

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