Waitress

July 30- August 5

Waitress promises to be a sweet slice of Muny heaven! Featuring memorable music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles, the story centers on Jenna, a baker who dreams of escaping her job, small town and rocky marriage. Adapted from the 2007 film, it’s a satisfying celebration of friendship, motherhood and the magic of a homemade pie. A Muny and U.S. regional premiere.  

 Music and Lyrics by SARA BAREILLES  â€¢ Book by JESSIE NELSON  

Creative Team

LILI-ANNE BROWN

Director

2022’s The Color Purple and 2023’s Rent. The Chicago South Side native works as a director, actor and educator, and has directed, performed in and produced many award-winning shows in Chicago and nationally. The former artistic director of Bailiwick Chicago, she focused programming on Chicago-premiere musicals and new work development with resident playwrights. Last year she received the Helen Hayes Award for her direction of Ain’t No Mo’ at Woolly Mammoth and Baltimore Center Stage.

CHLOE O. DAVIS

Choreographer

Choreography: Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC), A New Brain (Barrington Stage), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (The Rev), My Tribute to Black Broadway and Black Choreographers (The Muny), Broadway Bares (Hammerstein Ballroom) and Paradise Square (Broadway, Associate Choreographer). Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography and The Award for Best Choreography by Broadway Black. Favorite performance credits: Hell’s Kitchen (Broadway), Paradise Square (Broadway), Porgy and Bess (The Met), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix), Harlem (Amazon), Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC), Camille A. Brown and Dancers, and Philadanco. Currently developing her own choreographic work called The Memorial.

ANDRA VELIS SIMON

Music Director

Regional: Actors Theatre of Louisville, A.R.T. in Cambridge, BAM, Berkeley Rep, NYU Skirball Center, Olney Theatre Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, People’s Light. Chicago: Firebrand Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, the US premiere of London Road (Shattered Globe Theatre), the world premiere of La Ruta (Steppenwolf, Theater Wit), and multiple actor-musician productions with The Hypocrites and Chicago Children’s Theatre, among others. Most recently, Velis Simon was the music supervisor for the first regional production of The Band’s Visit, co-produced by TheatreSquared of Arkansas and Writers Theatre, outside Chicago. In addition, she has taught musical theatre performance at the college level since 2008 and recently completed a short-term residency at Grinnell College. Member AFM.