The Muny Announces Principal Cast for Premiere Production of ‘Waitress’

ST. LOUIS — Jessica Vosk, Devin DeSantis, Lissa deGuzman, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Ken Page, Ben Crawford, Jonah D. Winston and Troy Iwata will star in the Muny and Midwest regional premiere of Waitress, which runs July 30-Aug. 5 on the James S. McDonnell Stage in Forest Park.

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

“I can’t wait for Muny audiences to go inside Jenna’s world and experience this gorgeous story and Sara Bareilles’ incredible songs,” said Muny Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “It makes us all so happy to welcome back the extraordinary Jessica Vosk. She leads an amazing company of actors who will capture the heart and soul of this beautiful musical.”

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) She 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).

KEN PAGE (Joe) has performed in over 45 shows on the Muny stage. Ken is widely known as the voice of Mr. Oogie Boogie in the classic Disney/Tim Burton animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Film: Dreamgirls, Torch Song Trilogy, All Dogs Go to Heaven and more. Ken made his Broadway debut in the all-Black revival of Guys and Dolls as Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Theatre World Award). Other Broadway: Cats (Old Deuteronomy, OBC video/film cast), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (OBC, LA, Paris, Drama Desk Award for Best Actor, Grammy Award cast album), The Wiz (Lion). London’s West End: Children of Eden (Father, OLC), My One and Only in Concert (London Palladium).

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 and can be heard on multiple musical theatre albums. Troy is one of the newest correspondents on The Daily Show (Comedy Central) and appeared in the ghost comedy Summoning Sylvia. His Netflix series Dash & Lily garnered 12 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Casting. Other TV: WeCrashed (Apple TV+), New Amsterdam (NBC), Katy Keene (The CW), Ray Donovan (Showtime), Tell Me a Story (CBS), Quantico (ABC) and Time After Time (ABC). His latest film project, Space Cadet (Prime Video), debuts this summer.

Remaining cast, including the role of Lulu, and creative team for Waitress will be announced later. 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, Production Manager Tracy Utzmyers and Music Supervisor Michael Horsley.

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

Performances of Waitress begin at 8:15 p.m. nightly, July 30-Aug. 5. Season tickets are on sale now at muny.org, by calling (314) 361-1900 or at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park. Single-performance tickets go on sale May 20.

Season 106 at The Muny also includes Les Misérables (June 17-23), Dreamgirls (June 27-July 3), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (July 8-16), Fiddler on the Roof (July 19-25), In the Heights (Aug. 9-15) and Anything Goes (Aug. 19-25). 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.

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, 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.