Track listing[edit]

No. Title Performer(s) Length

1. "What's Inside" Jessie Mueller, Ensemble 1:32
2. "Opening Up" Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Kimiko Glenn, Eric Anderso
n, Ensemble 2:32
3. "The Negative" Keala Settle, Kimiko Glenn, Jessie Mueller 2:28
4. "What Baking Can Do" Jessie Mueller, Ensemble 3:30
5. "Club Knocked Up" Aisha Jackson, Stephanie Torns, Molly Hager, Cha
rity Angl Dawson 0:46
6. "Pomatter Pie" The Waitress Band 1:01
7. "When He Sees Me" Kimiko Glenn, Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Ense
mble 3:43
8. "It Only Takes a Taste" Drew Gehling, Jessie Mueller 3:09
9. "You Will Still Be Mine" Nick Cordero, Jessie Mueller 2:18
10. "A Soft Place to Land" Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Kimiko Glenn
2:57
11. "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me" Christopher Fitzgerald, Kimiko Glenn, En
semble 2:16
12. "Bad Idea" Jessie Mueller, Drew Gehling, Ensemble 3:07
13. "I Didn't Plan It" Keala Settle 2:40
14. "Bad Idea (Reprise)" Drew Gehling, Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Eric
Anderson, Kimiko Glenn, Christopher Fitzgerald, Ensemble 1:03
15. "You Matter to Me" Drew Gehling, Jessie Mueller 4:21
16. "I Love You Like a Table" Christopher Fitzgerald, Kimiko Glenn, En
semble 1:56
17. "Take It from an Old Man" Dakin Matthews, Ensemble 2:37
18. "Dear Baby" Jessie Mueller 0:37
19. "She Used to Be Mine" Jessie Mueller 4:27
20. "Contraction Ballet" Jessie Mueller, Ensemble 1:02
21. "Everything Changes" Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Kimiko Glenn, Ense
mble 3:02
22. "Opening Up (Finale)" Company 1:44
Characters and original cast[edit]
Drew Gehling and Jessie Mueller in 'Waitress' at the American Repertory Theater.
(Photo: Jeremy Daniel)
The characters and original cast:
Character Workshop
2014 American Repertory Theater
2015 Original Broadway Cast
2016[32] Current Broadway Cast
Jenna Hunterson Jessie Mueller
Dr. Jim Pomatter Bryce Pinkham Drew Gehling
Earl Hunterson Andy Karl Joe Tippett Nick Cordero William Popp
Becky Keala Settle Charity Angl Dawson
Dawn Barrett Wilbert Weed Jeanna de Waal Kimiko Glenn Caitlin Houlahan
Joe Dakin Matthews
Ogie Christopher Fitzgerald Jeremy Morse Christopher Fitzgerald
Cal Eric Anderson [49]Joe Cassidy
Lulu N/A Giana Ribeiro
Addison Oken Claire Keane
McKenna Keane Cate Elefante
Ella Dane Morgan
Replacements[edit]
Jenna Ushkowitz began the role of Dawn on July 29, 2016, while Glenn took a leav
e of absence to film Orange is the New Black.[50] It was later announced that Gl
enn had, in fact, departed the show completely. Caitlin Houlahan then replaced U
shkowitz as Dawn on October 20, 2016.[51]
Nick Cordero left the production on September 22, 2016, with the role of Earl be
ing taken by William Popp.[52] Will Swenson will replace Popp in the role beginn
ing March 31, 2017.[53]
Keala Settle left the show as of October 19, 2016, and was replaced by Charity A
ngl Dawson.[52]
Sara Bareilles, composer of the show's music, is set to take over the role of Je
nna on March 31, 2017, replacing Jessie Mueller. She will end this engagement on
June 11, 2017.[54] It is unknown who will replace her after this.[55]
Chris Diamantopoulos will take over the role of Dr. Pomatter on March 31, 2017,
replacing Drew Gehling.[54]
Will Swenson will assume the role of Earl, replacing William Popp on March 31, 2
017.[54]
Critical response[edit]
The show garnered generally positive reviews in both runs. Frank Rizzo, reviewin
g the Boston production for Variety, wrote: "...making Earl so relentlessly horr
ible makes Jenna s inability to leave him not just indecisive but something more w
orrisome... Meanwhile, there s little evidence for the good doctor being Jenna s los
t soulmate, despite his loving bedside manner,...Mueller s performance transcends
the show s imperfections. She s funny, frisky and likable. She sings Bareilles songs
beautifully... director Diane Paulus fills the production with clever touches a
scalloped pie-crust proscenium, a fluid and easygoing flow and a natural truthfu
lness in the performances."[56]
For the Broadway production, many critics found Bareilles' score and Mueller's p
erformance to be the highlights of the show. Charles Isherwood of the New York T
imes gave a mixed review of the show but called Mueller's performance "a high po
int of the Broadway season."[57] Time Out New York gave the production four star
s and said "...Waitress has an excellent ratio of sweet to tart; supporting char
acters who provide crustiness (Dakin Matthews s grumbly store owner) and flakiness
(Christopher Fitzgerald s loony admirer of another waitress); and cooked-to-perfe
ction staging by Diane Paulus. The whole dish is please forgive me love at first bit
e."[58] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter said "...the material is anchored
at every step by Bareilles' melodious pop score and Mueller's supremely natural
performance as Jenna. While the stock characters that surround her may be famil
iar, they're a winsome bunch played by sterling performers" though the choreogra
phy and direction by Latarro and Paulus respectively were borderline cheesy.[59]
Awards and nominations[edit]
The original Broadway cast album was nominated for the 2017 Grammy Award for Bes
t Musical Theater Album.[60]
Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result Ref
2016 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated [61]
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Jessie Mueller Nominate
d
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Christopher Fitzgerald
Nominated
Best Original Score Sara Bareilles Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated [62]
Outstanding Actress in a Musical Jessie Mueller Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Christopher Fitzgerald Won
Outstanding Outstanding Book of a Musical Jessie Nelson Nominated
Outstanding Music Sara Bareilles Nominated
Outstanding Lyrics Nominated
Drama League Award Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Mus
ical Nominated [63]
Distinguished Performance Award Jessie Mueller Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Broadway Musical Nominate
d [64]
Outstanding Actress in a Musical Jessie Mueller Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Christopher Fitzgerald Won
Outstanding New Score (Broadway or off-Broadway) Sara Bareilles Nominate
d
Broadway.com Audience Awards Favorite Musical Nominated [65]
Favorite Actress in a Musical Jessie Mueller Nominated
2017 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Nominated [66]