She’s in an abusive marriage and gets pregnant, but doesn’t want the baby.

Jenna’s an extraordinary pie-maker who lives in a small town in southern Indiana. So I was just so happy and proud that we got off the runway, everything else was a bonus.īailey McCall as Jenna in Sara Bareilles’s ‘Waitress’Ĭould you tell us about the main character, Jenna? It’s so complicated, with so many revisions, and it’s easy to lose sight of the finish line. Writing a musical is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. I didn’t even know enough to dream beyond the final construction of the piece. So I immediately jumped on board and a few years later we were opening on Broadway.ĭid you ever imagine back then that it would make such a big impact? It’s based on a film by an incredible woman called Adrienne Shelley, who is sadly no longer with us, and Diane was very passionate about telling her story as a musical.

So I had lunch with her and she told me about the show, which I was unfamiliar with at that time. I got a call from my theatrical agent in New York, who said the director, Diane Paulus, was interested in meeting. How did you get involved with Waitress initially? It’s universally enjoyable, very funny but also very moving and relatable. I think there’s a preconception that it’s a very female-driven show, which to some extent it is, but there are also lots of great male characters. How would you describe the show, for the uninitiated?

That’s where I was introduced to musical theatre, which has become one of the great loves of my life, so I love that we now get to take this show to new places that might not have seen it before. I grew up in a small town and I couldn’t get to Broadway, so I was reliant on the theatres close to me. GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, who created the music and lyrics for the smash hit musical Waitress, speaks to Theo Bosanquet…Īre you excited that the show is embarking on a UK tour?Ībsolutely, it’s my pride and joy.

Sara bareilles interview