Four-Time Tony-Nominated Musical Features a Score by Grammy Winner Sara Bareilles
[SALT LAKE CITY, UT APRIL 11, 2025] — Pioneer Theatre Company, Utah’s premier professional theatre company in residence at the University of Utah, presents the Utah premiere of Waitress from May 2-17, 2025. Nominated for four Tony Awards, the musical features a book by Jessie Nelson and music and lyrics by Grammy-winning artist Sara Bareilles. It is based upon the motion picture of the same name written by Adrienne Shelly.
Based on the 2007 Sundance film, Waitress is the story of Jenna, a pie chef and waitress at a small-town Southern diner who’s stuck in a loveless marriage. When Jenna discovers she is pregnant, a local pie-baking contest with a cash prize becomes Jenna and her baby’s chance for a better life. But, as is often the case, fate has a few extra ingredients that complicate Jenna’s recipe for a new life.
CAST & CREATIVE
Leading the cast is PTC newcomer Claire Saunders* (Broadway’s Sweeney Todd) as Jenna. She is joined by PTC alumni Ben Jacoby* (Broadway’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, PTC’s Bonnie & Clyde) as Dr. Pomatter; William Parry* (an original cast member of 11 Broadway productions—including Sunday in the Park with George, PTC’s Alabama Story, Newsies) as Joe; Daniel Plimpton* (PTC’s Something Rotten, Cagney) as Ogie; Lexi Rabadi* (Broadway’s Sweeney Todd, PTC’s Something Rotten) as Dawn; Brent Thiessen* (PTC’s Jersey Boys, Putting It Together) as Earl; Kyle Brand* (PTC’s Oliver!) as ensemble/ Jenna’s Dad/ Dance Captain; and Marjorie Failoni* (Broadway’s Escape to Margaritaville, PTC’s Something Rotten) as ensemble/ Nurse Norma. Making their PTC debuts are Aaron Arnell Harrington* (Off-Broadway’s Little Shop of Horrors) as Cal; Candice Marie Woods* (Broadway’s Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can) as Becky; and ensemble member Vincent Ortega* (Broadway’s Mamma Mia!, In the Heights).
Rounding out the company are ensemble members Jordan Cruz (PTC’s Jersey Boys, The Rocky Horror Show); Zeth Dixon; Luke Foti; Kamaluonalani Matthias; and Courtney McMullin. Iris Fernelius, Hailey Harding, and Hazel Wilde Pearce alternate in the role of Lulu.
Melinda Pfundstein, in her PTC debut, directs Waitress. Pfundstein has been a member of the creative company at Utah Shakespeare Festival for over 25 years, where she recently directed Silent Sky, The Book of Will, All’s Well That Ends Well, and many others. She has also directed The Tempest for the University of Utah.
Pfundstein is joined on the Creative Team by Musical Director/Conductor Tom Griffin (PTC’s Bonnie & Clyde, Once On This Island); Choreographer Natalie Malotke (PTC’s Sweet Charity, Fiddler on the Roof); Scenic Designer Yoon Bae (PTC’s The Lehman Trilogy, Scapin); Costume Designer Patrick Holt (PTC’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Dial M for Murder); Lighting Designer Paul Miller (PTC’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, In the Heights); Sound Designer Aaron Hubbard (PTC’s Jersey Boys; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812); Hair & Makeup Designer Natalia Castilla (Broadway’s Purpose, NBC’s Saturday Night Live) and Intimacy Director Sarah Shippobotham (PTC’s The Lehman Trilogy, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. James O. Hansen is Production Stage Manager. Casting is by Bob Cline.
LOGE GALLERY
During the run of Waitress, Pioneer Theatre Company will present Womanhood—featuring works from Anna Hansen, Annalee Wood, Caro Nilsson, Catherine Widner, Desarae Lee, Esther Mathieu, Haylee Canonico, Jan Harris Smith, Leia Bell, and Nik Kleintz. The exhibit will be on display in the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre Loge Gallery and individual pieces will be available for purchase through the PTC Box Office.
TICKETS
Waitress plays the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre from May 2-17, 2025. Tickets are now on sale via the link below or by calling the Pioneer Theatre Company Box Office at 801-581-6961. Tickets for patrons in grades K-12 are half-price Monday through Thursday. A limited number of $63 tickets are available for each performance with promo code PTC63.
A special Curtain Call for All (“Pay What You Can”) performance will take place on Monday, May 12 (at 7:00 PM). That same performance will also feature ASL interpretation.
PRESS CONTACT
Joshua Black
Director of Marketing and Communications
[email protected]
TICKETING INFORMATION
Waitress
Book by Jessie Nelson
Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles
Based upon the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly
WHEN
May 2-17, 2025
TIMES
Monday – Thursday, 7:00 PM
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 PM
Saturday, 2:00 PM
WHERE
Waitress will be performed at PTC’s Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre
300 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
PRICES
$57 – $83 in advance; $5 more when purchased on day of show
Students K – 12 or ages 5-18 are half-price Monday – Thursday
MORE INFO
Box Office: 801-581-6961
Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday
PTC Show Listing – Waitress
CAST
Jenna: CLAIRE SAUNDERS*
Cal: AARON ARNELL HARRINGTON*
Dawn: LEXI RABADI*
Becky: CANDICE MARIE WOODS*
Joe: WILLIAM PARRY*
Earl: BRENT THIESSEN*
Jenna’s Mother: KAMALUONALANI MATTHIAS
Jenna’s Father/Dance Captain: KYLE BRAND*
Nurse Norma: MARJORIE FAILONI*
Dr. Pomatter: BEN JACOBY*
Ogie: DANIEL PLIMPTON*
Francine: COURTNEY MCMULLIN
Lulu (at certain performances): IRIS FERNELIUS, HAILEE HARDING, and HAZEL PEARCE
Ensemble: KYLE BRAND*, MARJORIE FAILONI*, VINCENT ORTEGA*, JORDAN CRUZ, ZETH DIXON, LUKE FOTI, KAMALUONALANI MATTHIAS, COURTNEY MCMULLIN
CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Meldina Pfundstein
Musical Director/Conductor: Tom Griffin
Choreographer: Natalie Malotke
Scenic Designer: Yoon Bae
Costume Designer: Patrick Holt
Lighting Designer: Paul Miller
Sound Designer: Aaron Hubbard
Hair & Makeup Designer: Natalia Castilla
Intimacy Director: Sarah Shippobotham
Casting: Bob Cline
Production Stage Manager: James O. Hansen*
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
WAITRESS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
ABOUT PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC)
Now celebrating its 63rd season, the award-winning PTC is Utah’s premiere professional theatre company and a leading arts organization of the West. Led by Artistic Director Karen Azenberg and Managing Director Adrian Budhu, PTC presents world-class productions that celebrate diversity in culture and society, and serve as the connecting bridge between art and scholarship as an affiliate of the University of Utah. Notable productions include the regional premieres of Les Misérables, Sting’s The Last Ship, and Frank Wildhorn’s The Count of Monte Cristo, as well as the world premieres of Shucked (the first-ever Broadway tryout in Utah), A Distinct Society by Kareem Fahmy, Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones, The Messenger by Jeff Talbott, and Ass by Ellen Simon. For more information, visit PioneerTheatre.org.
