Jennifer Nettles to return to Broadway in 'Waitress'

Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Jennifer Nettles will make her return to Broadway in the musical Waitress.

Producers announced Thursday that Nettles, 47, will take over the lead role of Jenna from Sara Bareilles, who created the musical, in October.

Nettles will begin her limited run in the musical Oct. 19 at Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York and perform through Nov. 24. Bareilles will end her limited engagement Oct. 17.

Maiesha McQueen and Ashley Blanchet have also joined the cast as Becky and Dawn, respectively. McQueen and Blanchet will begin performances Oct. 5.

Waitress is based on the 2007 film of the same name starring Keri Russell as Jenna, a waitress in a loveless marriage who enters a baking contest. The musical features music and lyrics by Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson.

"It is an absolute dream," Nettles told People of joining the show. "There are so many layers to Waitress that make it so meaningful to me. It is heartwarming, heart-breaking at times, and absolutely heart-inspiring. I'm thrilled to be able to finally get to wear the apron."

Waitress reopened in September following the COVID-19 shutdown. The show set a new single-performance house record for ticket sales -- $197,878 -- its opening weekend.

Nettles is a singer and actress who last released the album Always Like New in June. She made her Broadway debut in 2015 in Chicago and also starred in a production of Mamma Mia!