The Muny Announces Full Cast and Design Team for Premiere of ‘Waitress’

ST. LOUIS — The Muny has announced its full cast and design team for Waitress, the fifth show in the theatre’s 106th season, which runs July 30-Aug. 5 on the James S. McDonnell Stage in Forest Park. This is the musical’s Muny and Midwest regional premiere.

“We are thrilled for Muny audiences to experience the heart and humor of this beautiful story,” said Muny Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “Our outstanding cast and visionary creative team will serve up an unforgettable treat with this Muny premiere of Waitress.”

Joining the previously announced Jessica Vosk (Jenna), Devin DeSantis (Dr. Pomatter), Lissa deGuzman (Dawn), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Becky), Ben Crawford (Earl), Jonah D. Winston (Cal), Troy Iwata (Ogie) and Torri Tripoli (Lulu) are Cleavant Derricks (Joe) and Caitlin Witty (standby for Jenna). Members of the ensemble and swings: Kaley Bender, Harter Clingman, Arnold Harper II, Alia Hodge, Josh Hoon Lee, Patricia Jewel, Vaughn Mariani, Gabriel Mudd, Owen Scales, Kaitlyn Louise Smith and Erica Stephan. The company will be joined by the Muny Teen Youth Ensemble.

The creative team for Waitress is led by Director Lili-Anne Brown, with Choreographer Chloe O. Davis and Music Director/Conductor Andra Velis Simon.

The design and production teams include Associate Choreographer Teneise Ellis, Intimacy Consultant Tress Kurzym, Scenic Designer Wilson Chin, Costume Designer Raquel Adorno, Lighting Designer Heather Gilbert, Co-sound Designers John Shivers and David Patridge, Video Designer Mike Tutaj, Wig Designer Kelley Jordan and Production Stage Manager Kelsey Tippins.

The Telsey Office is the official casting partner of The Muny.

The Muny artistic staff includes Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson, Associate Artistic Director Michael Baxter, Director of Production Tracy Utzmyers and Music Supervisor Michael Horsley.

JESSICA VOSK (Jenna) Muny: Chess (Florence) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator). She is currently developing the role of CC in the musical adaptation of Beaches, which just had its international premiere. Jessica is best known for her star turn as Elphaba in Wicked, both on tour and in the 15th Anniversary Broadway company. Additional credits include the Broadway productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Neverland, The Bridges of Madison County and Sarah Silverman’s Bedwetter at Atlantic Theater Company. Jessica is an accomplished concert artist, completing her first 20-city solo tour last year and playing Carnegie Hall twice in one season. Having started with a career in finance, her one-of-a-kind story was covered by ABC’s 20/20 and NBC Nightly News.

DEVIN DeSANTIS (Dr. Pomatter) New York: Radio City Christmas Spectacular (singer). Off-Broadway: The Magdalene. Regional: The Matchbox Magic Flute (Goodman), Kinky Boots, Next to Normal, The Who’s Tommy, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Into the Woods, Les Misérables (Paramount Theatre), Emma, The Three Musketeers (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Parade (Writers Theatre),Young Frankenstein, Hot Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance (Drury Lane Theatre), Anyone Can Whistle, The Most Happy Fella (Ravinia), Godspell, City of Angels, Honeymoon in Vegas, Shenandoah (Marriott Theatre). Devin is a regular guest artist with the Colorado Symphony, San Diego Symphony and Wyoming Symphony.

LISSA deGUZMAN (Dawn) was last seen in St. Louis as Elphaba in the national tour of Wicked. Currently on Broadway as the Elphaba standby. Other Broadway credits include King Kong and Disney’s Aladdin. National tours: Wicked (Elphaba), Disney’s Aladdin (Jasmine). Regional: Fiddler on the Roof (The Muny, 2016), Bliss (The 5th Avenue Theatre), Chasing Rainbows (Goodspeed Opera House), Camelot (Cape Playhouse), Legally Blonde (Kansas City Starlight), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Drury Lane), West Side Story and Les Misérables (Studio Tenn). BFA Belmont University.

NICOLE MICHELLE HASKINS (Becky) The Color Purple (Muny, St. Louis Theater Circle Award and Drury Lane Theatre, Jeff Award); US premiere of Hopelessly Devoted (Piven Theatre); Caroline, or Change (Firebrand Theatre, Black Theatre Alliance nomination); The Spitfire Grill (Refuge Theatre Project, Jeff nomination); The Wiz (Kokandy Productions, Black Theatre Alliance, Jeff and Time Out Chicago nominations); The Music Man; Father Comes Home From the Wars: Parts 1, 2 and 3; How to Catch Creation (Goodman Theatre); world premiere of HeLa (Sideshow Theatre); Midwest premiere of Mutt (Stage Left Theatre with Red Tape Theatre).

CLEAVANT DERRICKS (Joe) Broadway: Michael Bennett’s Dreamgirls (Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Featured Actor, LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Vocal Arrangements), Bob Fosse’s Big Deal (Tony and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actor), Vinnette Carroll’s Your Arms Too Short to Box With God and But Never Jam Today, Broadway revival of Hair, Brooklyn (OBC), Wicked (Wizard). National tours: The Full Monty (NAACP Theatre Award for Best Actor), Wicked (Wizard). Film: Moscow on the Hudson, The Slugger’s Wife, Offbeat, Carnival of Souls, Bluffing It, World Traveler. TV series regular in Sliders, Thea, Drexell’s Class, Good Sports, Woops!

BEN CRAWFORD (Earl) Muny: Oliver! (Bill Sykes), Titanic (Frederick Barrett), Footloose (Chuck Cranston), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (The Beast). Broadway: Les Misérables, Shrek (Shrek), Big Fish (Don Price), On the Twentieth Century, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Mr. Salt), The Phantom of the Opera (Phantom, 35th Anniversary). New York: Merrily We Roll Along, Irma La Douce (NY City Center Encores!), 35mm, Jasper in Deadland (Ryan Scott Oliver). Tour: Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson). Regional: Evita (Che), Oklahoma! (Jud Fry), Next to Normal (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine), Assassins (John Wilkes-Booth), A New Brain (Gordon Schwinn), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Bob Wallace), Soul Doctor (Shlomo Carlebach) and A Little Night Music (Carl Magnus).

JONAH D. WINSTON (Cal) Chicago: Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Big Fish, Damn Yankees (Marriott Theatre), Avenue Q, Little Shop of Horrors, Clue, Young Frankenstein, Spamalot (Mercury Theater Chicago, multiple Jeff nominations and awards), A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre), Parade (Writers Theatre). Tours: The Play That Goes Wrong, Saint-Georges’ Sword and Bow. Regional: Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Play House, Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Opera: The Merry Widow, Jesus Christ Superstar, Louder! Longer! Wagner! (Lyric Opera of Chicago).

TROY IWATA (Ogie) made his Broadway debut in Be More Chill (2019). Troy can be seen as one of the new correspondents on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. He recently starred in the hit independent film Summoning Sylvia, a queer-horror-comedy. Troy recurred on the Apple TV+ limited series WeCrashed (Damian Saito, with Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway) and also starred in the Netflix series Dash & Lily, which garnered 12 Emmy nominations. Other TV: New Amsterdam (NBC), Katy Keene (The CW), Ray Donovan (Showtime), Tell Me a Story (CBS), Quantico (ABC) and Time After Time (ABC).

TORRI TRIPOLI (Lulu) is 6 years old and attends kindergarten in St. Louis. She belongs to St. Louis Spirits Gymnastics Club and dances at Professional Dance Center, where she is a member of the Ensemble competition team.

CAITLIN WITTY (Standby for Jenna) National tour: Acoustic Rooster (The Kennedy Center). Regional: Alice Bliss (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Workshop), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Sister Act (Arrow Rock Lyceum), Jesus Christ Superstar (ACT of CT), Swingtime Canteen (Ivoryton Playhouse, Arrow Rock Lyceum), The Little Mermaid (STL Variety Children’s Theatre), Elf (The Little Theatre on the Square), Newsies (Crane River Theatre).

Featuring memorable music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, the story of Waitress 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.

Performances of Waitress begin at 8:15 p.m. nightly, July 30-Aug. 5. Tickets are on sale at muny.org, by calling MetroTix at (314) 534-1111 or at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park.

To learn more about the Muny production of Waitress and the show’s history, visit muny.org/waitress. For actor headshots, show logos, video and other assets, visit the Muny Press Room at muny.org/press.

Season 106 at The Muny also includes Fiddler on the Roof (July 19-25), In the Heights (Aug. 9-15) and Anything Goes (Aug. 19-25).

The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre, we welcome more than 350,000 theatregoers each summer for seven world-class productions. Now celebrating 106 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre. For more information, visit muny.org.