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84-552: Ogunquit Playhouse produces four or more shows each season, running May through October, with performances Tuesday through Sunday. Creative teams are brought in from around the world; casting for each show is hand-picked from Broadway and Regional actors in New York, Los Angeles, and across the country; and their commitment to New Works has given the industry world premieres musicals such as Heartbreak Hotel, Mystic Pizza, and Mr. Holland's Opus. Theatre education at The Playhouse began in

168-578: A Twist featuring celebrity pros and talents from Dancing with the Stars , American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance , including Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts . The season closed with what became the theatre's most popular musical ever, Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story starring Kurt Jenkins. In 2022, the Playhouse celebrated 90 years with productions of regional premiere of The Cher Show , The Nutty Professor written by Rupert Holmes and

252-587: A cash prize of $ 20,000, which would give Jenna enough money to leave Earl. Dawn begins using an online dating platform but is terrified of every outcome ("When He Sees Me"). Jenna runs into Dr. Pomatter at the bus stop. He tells her he loved the Mermaid Marshmallow pie, saying it could "win contests and ribbons and things" ("It Only Takes a Taste"). Jenna arrives home to learn Earl has been fired from his job. He berates her, and his anger almost turns physical; out of impulse and fear, Jenna confesses she

336-473: A divorce. He reacts poorly, and she implies she will seek a restraining order against him if he ever comes near her or Lulu. Dr. Pomatter visits Jenna alone in her room, but Jenna refuses his kiss. Saying she does not want to remain "happy enough", she ends the affair. As thanks for his positive impact on her life, she gives him a moon pie . Jenna remarks on her change in outlook with Lulu in her life ("Everything Changes"). Jenna opens Joe's envelope. Knowing he

420-519: A limited engagement at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre starring Sara Bareilles as Jenna, mainly to produce a live stage recording of the show for a 2023 release. The musical is based on the 2007 indie film Waitress . The film was produced on a budget of just $ 1.5 million, earning over $ 23 million in global box office receipts. The film starred Keri Russell and was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. The film follows Jenna,

504-670: A limited engagement on September 2, 2021 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre , making it the first musical on Broadway to begin performances following the COVID-19 shutdown . The primary reason for its return was to record the production for a future public release, with STEAM Motion + Sound producing the film . Several returning cast members star in the production, including Bareilles as Jenna, Gehling as Dr. Pomatter, Tippett as Earl, Dawson as Becky, Houlahan as Dawn, Matthews as Joe, Fitzgerald as Ogie, and Anderson as Cal. The run concluded on December 22, 2021, two weeks earlier than planned due to

588-502: A lot of alternatives to major Hollywood productions. These theaters appealed to the upper class and radicals who were isolated from Hollywood. Audience members were encouraged to discuss the films after they were shown. There was an outstanding increase in Little Theatres that specifically screened European films from 1926 to 1929. The films were believed to be of "perceived artistic superiority to Hollywood Films," which coined

672-815: A musical Performers who have appeared at the Ogunquit Playhouse include the following: Billy Elliot the Musical (2014) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2013) Little Theatre Movement As the new medium of cinema was beginning to replace theater as a source of large-scale spectacle, the Little Theatre Movement developed in the United States around 1912. The Little Theatre Movement served to provide experimental centers for

756-562: A new stagecraft. Women were pervasive throughout these companies, although their efforts were often belittled, dismissed, or undervalued. Several theaters also sprang up during this period. The Wee Playhouse reading theater in Alfred , New York, traces its origin to Fall 1920 and still holds meetings today, making it probably the oldest continuous reading theater in the country. The movement achieved high-water marks in artistic significance, community involvement, and international recognition with

840-918: A pie baking contest and its grand prize as her chance. After a tryout at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts , in August 2015, Waitress premiered at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway in April 2016 with direction by Diane Paulus and starring Jessie Mueller as Jenna. A U.S. national tour ran from 2017 to 2019. From 2019 to 2020, the musical played at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End . In September 2021, it returned to Broadway for

924-541: A pregnancy test which, to Jenna's dismay, comes back positive; Jenna deduces the pregnancy came from a night when she drunkenly had sex with her abusive husband, Earl ("The Negative"). Earl comes to the diner and suggests he wants to make Jenna quit and give up her passion for baking. He takes the tips she has earned from working so far that day. She decides not to tell him about her pregnancy and recalls her late mother, who also found solace from an unhappy marriage in baking ("What Baking Can Do"). At her OB/GYN's office, Jenna

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1008-529: A rare practice for a Broadway musical, the orchestrations were created by Bareilles in collaboration with the orchestra. Nadia DiGiallonardo conducted the original Broadway orchestra. The musical uses a six-member orchestra consisting of keyboard, piano, cello, guitar, bass, and drums. In addition to the show's musical numbers, Bareilles also recorded the "turn off your cellphone" message, rewriting part of her original song "Cassiopeia". *Not included on Original Broadway Cast Recording. ‡ When June Squibb entered

1092-716: A revival of 2006's Menopause The Musical , The Full Monty with Hunter Foster and Sally Struthers , Crazy for You with Rue McClanahan , La Cage aux Folles , The King and I with Lorenzo Lamas , Hairspray , and closed with a revival of The Full Monty with Hunter Foster and Sally Struthers. The Playhouse celebrated 80 years in theatre with productions of Sally Struthers in Always, Patsy Cline and 9 to 5 , Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific , Carson Kressley in Damn Yankees The Boston Red Sox Version, and Ballroom with

1176-603: A single performance at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, taking in $ 145,532. The production had required an initial investment of $ 12 million. During a technical halt at a preview performance, composer and lyricist Sara Bareilles performed two songs, including "Down at the Diner", previously cut from the production. Waitress made history on Broadway with the four top creative spots in a show being filled by women (Bareilles, Nelson, Latarro, and Paulus). In addition,

1260-634: A spike of COVID-19. The closing cast starred Joshua Henry as Pomatter and Ciara Renée as Jenna. The first U.S. national tour, with Desi Oakley as Jenna, Lenne Klingaman as Dawn, Charity Angel Dawson as Becky, and Bryan Fenkart as Dr. Pomatter, began at Playhouse Square in Cleveland on October 20, 2017, and closed on August 18, 2019. The second non-equity national tour, starring Bailey McCall as Jenna, Kennedy Salters as Becky, Gabriella Marzetta as Dawn, and David Socolar as Dr. Pomatter, opened on November 12, 2019, and closed on June 12, 2022. Because of

1344-488: A waitress and pie chef living in a small town in the American South, who unexpectedly becomes pregnant and feels trapped in an unhappy marriage. Looking for a way out, she sees a pie contest and its grand prize as her chance. Following the 2013 Tony Awards , producers Barry and Fran Weissler announced that a musical version of the film was in the works, with Paula Vogel writing the book, Sara Bareilles writing

1428-426: Is pregnant. Earl softens up, but makes Jenna promise not to love the baby more than she loves him ("You Will Still Be Mine"). Jenna tells Dawn and Becky of her plan to enter the pie contest; if she wins, she will use the prize money to leave Earl and raise the baby herself. The three waitresses see their dreams of a better life within reach ("A Soft Place to Land"). Jenna begins to give Earl only half her earnings, hiding

1512-427: Is taunted by other pregnant women ("Club Knocked Up") and meets Dr. James “Jim” Pomatter, a new doctor from Connecticut . Jenna explains she does not want to raise a child but does not want an abortion , and leaves Dr. Pomatter with a Mermaid Marshmallow pie, which he eats and loves ("Pomatter Pie"). Word of Jenna's pregnancy reaches Joe, the diner's elderly owner, who suggests she enter a local pie-baking contest with

1596-434: Is truly happy; he responds that he is "happy enough." Joe tells Jenna his sincere hopes for her ("Take It from an Old Man"). Earl drags Jenna home and uncovers the money she has been hiding. She meekly tells him she has been saving for the baby, but Earl leaves with the money. Jenna breaks down, lamenting her long-lost control over her life (" She Used to Be Mine "). Jenna goes into labor ("Contraction Ballet"). She sees Joe at

1680-516: The American film industry for moral or social dilemmas. The Little Theatre Movement served to oppose Hollywood and the film industry; they dismissed Hollywood's mass production and creation of films to appeal to the largest possible audience. The Little Theatre Movement's focus was on creating fine art, focused not on commercial purposes, but rather, on artistic, historical, or political content. European films were screened often since there were not

1764-625: The COVID-19 pandemic . The production was scheduled to end on July 4, 2020, but it closed on March 14, when West End theatres shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the producers later announced the show would not re-open. Jones was due to return following Bareilles's run. Following the West End run, the production was scheduled to tour the UK and Ireland beginning in November 2020, however due to

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1848-711: The Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen in March 2021, starring Maria Lucia Rosenberg as Jenna and Lars Mølsted as Dr. Pomatter. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the show has been delayed to April 2021 and is set to close in May 2021. The show was translated to Danish by renowned translator Kenneth ThordalIt. The Danish production will be the third non-replica production. On July 3, 2020, Teatr Muzyczny Roma in Warsaw, Poland , announced

1932-555: The IRNE Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in a season dominated by Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 . Broadway previews began on March 25, 2016, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre , with the official opening on April 24, just in time for the April 28 Tony Awards cut-off date. Lorin Latarro replaced Brock as choreographer and Christopher Akerlind replaced Posner as lighting designer. For

2016-492: The Pasadena Community Playhouse . Originally a community theatre, the Playhouse boasted at its peak capacity six stages, each featuring a new production every two weeks, making it, for most of the early 20th century, the world's most prolific theatrical production organization. This palatial venue was, at the time of its construction in 1925, the largest theatre complex west of Chicago. The organization

2100-564: The Theatre Guild in 1919; but in its heyday, dozens of Little Theatre groups presented alternatives to mainstream commercial theatre. Numerous small companies had flourished, creating environments for diverse voices and viewpoints. The Provincetown Players brought the first important playwright, O'Neill , to fruition. The Provincetown Players were founded in 1915, by three people: Neith Boyce , George Cram Cook , and Susan Glaspell , who undertook Realism, an eccentric form of theatre at

2184-657: The book . A workshop was held the same month in New York City, with Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle , Barrett Wilbert Weed , Christopher Fitzgerald , Bryce Pinkham , and Andy Karl , among others, taking part. Nelson, with the blessing of the late Adrienne Shelly's husband, used some of Shelly's unfinished scripts to help bring "her voice" to the project. Waitress has a rare all-women production team, with Diane Paulus as director, Sara Bareilles as composer and lyricist, Jessie Nelson as book adaptor and Lorin Latarro as choreographer. The Clinton Foundation honored

2268-823: The 1930s and beyond to "tributary theatres", its name for little theater programs purportedly serving as tributaries for Broadway , London's West End , and other centers of professional theater. In 1924, Browne and Volkenburg started the Summer School of the Art of the Theatre at the Theatre of the Golden Bough in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California . In 1932, Burns Mantle of the Chicago Tribune listed

2352-484: The 1930s, under the direction of founder Walter Hartwig. Young actors were trained in theatre arts by talents of Broadway and Regional theatres. In the 1990s, the Playhouse began a wildly successful summer camp program, in which students were in class and rehearsals five days a week, culminating in a final mainstage performance of a full-scale production. In 2020, the Playhouse Arts Academy was born under

2436-531: The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic , many performances were cancelled or rescheduled. A third U.S. national tour did not tour as a usual touring production would, with just two engagements in Charlotte (from April 19 to May 22, 2022) and Cleveland (from May 26 to June 26, 2022). The production opened in London's West End on March 7, 2019, following previews which began on February 8, at the Adelphi Theatre and featured Katharine McPhee , who had previously played

2520-498: The Broadway production, elements of the book were rewritten, new choreography developed, and a new song written by Bareilles. Manhattan baker Stacy Donnelly and Small Business Owner Dawn Mayo of Everythingdawn were hired to ensure that the baking scenes were realistic. Donnelly taught the cast how to work and roll pie dough, as the role of Jenna required Mueller to crack eggs, sift flour, and roll out dough on stage. Mayo created all of

2604-718: The Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in Manila, Philippines , featuring Joanna Ampil as Jenna. It was the show's first non-replica production. A Spanish language production (locally translated as Camarera ) debuted in Buenos Aires , Argentina , at the Metropolitan Sura Theatre on April 17, 2019, and featured Josefina Scaglione , Tony Awards nominee for the 2009 West Side Story Broadway revival , as Jenna (locally translated to Gina). The Spanish translation

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2688-685: The Depression put an end to the tournament, Hartwig started the Manhattan Theatre Colony and brought it to the town of Ogunquit. In 1937, the theatre moved to a new building at its present-day location on Main Street in Ogunquit, Maine. The Ogunquit Playhouse was the first, and remains the only, summer theatre from the summer stock era built exclusively as a seasonal theatre. After Walter's death in 1941, Maude carried on his legacy at

2772-562: The Israeli production in the 2023/2024 season. It will be the fifth non-replica production worldwide, and Hebrew is the fourth language into which the show will be translated. Waitress will be adapted and performed in French for the first time during the summer of 2024. Produced by ComediHa! this French-speaking world-premiere of Waitress is a replica production, starring Marie-Eve Janvier. Translated by Joëlle Bond and Elizabeth Cordeau-Rancourt,

2856-480: The Little Theatre Movement. By encouraging freedom of expression, staging the works of talented young writers, and choosing plays solely on the basis of artistic merit, the little theatres provided a valuable early opportunity for such playwrights as Eugene O'Neill , George S. Kaufman , Elmer Rice , Maxwell Anderson and Robert E. Sherwood . The 1920s was one of the most critical periods in

2940-530: The Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation that currently oversees the Ogunquit Playhouse. John Lane died in 2000. In September 1999, Roy M. Rogosin was hired as Producing Artistic Director to help usher the Playhouse towards a new era. During this transition, the playhouse began producing its own shows, designing and building sets, designing costumes and bringing back the stars. The old Manhattan Theatre Colony building

3024-460: The Playhouse. In 1950, John Lane became the general manager and eventually took ownership of the Playhouse with his business partner, Henry Weller. Together they focused on modernizing and improving the building and grounds, and through John Lane's direction, audiences enjoyed the brightest stars and finest professional actors performing in Broadway's best shows. After a long and successful career, John Lane retired in 1994. He transferred ownership to

3108-582: The Polish production in 2020/2021 season. It will be the fourth non-replica production worldwide, and Polish is the third language into which the show will be translated. Translated by Michał Wojnarowski, the production was scheduled to open in April 2021 but was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. The opening night was on May 30, 2021. On May 24 2023, the Cameri Theater in Tel-Aviv, Israel announced

3192-420: The U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 30,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, giving Barellies her fifth top-ten album. The lead single from the album, "She Used to Be Mine", was released digitally on September 25, 2015. Speaking about the release of the album, Bareilles stated that her decision to record an album of the songs came because it "proved impossible for me to imagine handing over

3276-478: The United States for the showing of foreign films. Films from several European countries were exhibited throughout the U.S. It is important to note that prior to World War I , many European films were shown in the United States. However, the 1920s was crucial because European films laid down the foundation for the American independent film culture, also known as the Little Theatre Movement. Several people disliked

3360-596: The United States, many of the playwrights who got their start in these theatres—including Herman Voaden , Merrill Denison , and W.A. Tremayne —went on to anchor early professional theatres. The July 1939 issue of Theatre Arts Monthly listed the following companies in its "National Little Theatre Directory": Little Theatre can be seen as a precursor to the Off-Broadway movement of the 1950s as well as to other smaller, non-commercial ventures thereafter. Today's community theater may be also seen as an outgrowth of

3444-513: The United States. Waitress (musical) Waitress is a musical with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson . It is based on the 2007 film of the same name , written and directed by Adrienne Shelly . It tells the story of Jenna Hunterson, a baker and waitress in an abusive relationship with her husband, Earl. After Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she begins an affair with her obstetrician, Dr. James "Jim" Pomatter. Looking for ways out of her troubles, she sees

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3528-419: The United States. Continuing to react against commercialism, amateur companies began to write and produce their own works as well as new plays from Europe that had been ignored by the syndicates. A wide variety of experimental groups, clubs, and settlement houses undertook to reform the theater, bringing more inwardly directed plays to a wider public audience. New forms of drama, some influenced by or parodying

3612-457: The cast of Waitress on Broadway in 2018, she was announced to be playing "Josie" (the gender-modified character name of "Joe"). In return, the song title and all frequent uses of the word "Man" was changed to "Ma'am" for her performance run. Bareilles recorded her fifth studio album, What's Inside: Songs from Waitress , featuring songs from the musical. It was released through Epic Records on November 6, 2015. The album debuted at number ten on

3696-732: The concept of the European Art Film. Eventually, the term " art film " became very loose and society started seeing any film not produced in Hollywood as "art". The way the term "art film" was used in the United States lead to more critical thinking on film. The Little Theatre Movement gave birth to the Golden Age of the International Art Film (1950–1960s), when directors like Ingmar Bergman , Jean-Luc Godard , and Michelangelo Antonioni became popular in

3780-915: The costume designer and musical director were women. Bareilles said she was proud to be part of an all-female team: "It's really fun to be an example of the way it can look. We're a bunch of women who are deeply committed to finding a way to build a unified vision." Only the 1978 Broadway musical Runaways had a similar history, with book, music, lyrics, choreography and direction all by Elizabeth Swados . Notable cast replacements include Bareilles, Betsy Wolfe , Katharine McPhee , Nicolette Robinson , Shoshana Bean , Alison Luff , and Jordin Sparks as Jenna. Jason Mraz , Gavin Creel , Joey McIntyre , and Jeremy Jordan as Dr. Pomatter. Will Swenson and Joe Tippett as Earl. Bill Nolte as Joe, June Squibb as Josie (A female version of Joe), and Larry Marshall reprising

3864-427: The diner ("I Love You Like a Table"). Jenna arrives with a tiered pie resembling a wedding cake . (When the show reopened on Broadway in 2021, two lines of dialogue were added to the script. Becky asks Jenna what she has named the tiered pie, and Jenna replies "A Big Ol' Slice of Live Your Life Pie," in reference to the late Nick Cordero 's song "Live Your Life." ) At the reception, Jenna asks if Cal, despite his affair,

3948-433: The diner. The married Becky is unashamed of giving in to passion ("I Didn't Plan It"). Jenna and Dr. Pomatter continue their affair, as do Becky and Cal; Dawn and Ogie begin their relationship ("Bad Idea (Reprise)"). Jenna wonders if having an affair is a mistake, but Dr. Pomatter reassures her. Jenna begins writing a letter to her baby ("You Matter to Me"). After happily dating for several months, Dawn and Ogie get married at

4032-659: The direction of Prof. E. C. Mabie), University of Minnesota , Little Theater of Birmingham , University of Denver (under the direction of Walter Sinclair), Little Theater of Akron, Ohio , Little Theater of El Paso , University of Nebraska , Jasper Deeter's Hedgerow Theater at Moylan Rose Valley in Pennsylvania, the Parrish Players of Stony Creek, Connecticut, and the Little Theater of Dallas, Texas . The Washington, DC -area Little Theatre of Alexandria

4116-585: The dramatic arts, free from the standard production mechanisms used in prominent commercial theaters. In several large cities, beginning with Chicago , Boston , Seattle , and Detroit , companies formed to produce more intimate, non-commercial, non-profit-centered, and reform-minded entertainments. Sensational melodramas had entertained theatre audiences since the mid-19th century, drawing larger and larger audiences. These types of formulaic works could be produced over and over again in splendid halls in big cities and by touring companies in smaller ones. During

4200-628: The first little theatre to use the term, provided the movement with its name and inspired the creation in 1914 of Margaret Anderson's influential Chicago periodical The Little Review . Alice Gerstenberg , an original member of the Chicago Little Theatre, expanded the movement to include children, founding the Chicago Junior League Theatre for Children in 1921. Gerstenberg was also producer and president of The Playwrights' Theatre of Chicago, 1922–1945. She

4284-552: The following non-professional and semi-professional theater companies that were interested in staging new plays: Gilmour Brown's Pasadena Playhouse , Garrett Leverton's Northwestern University group, Syracuse University , the Little Theatre of St. Louis, Frederic McConnell's Playhouse in Cleveland, Western Reserve University , Duluth Little Theater, Dartmouth College's Laboratory Theatre , University of Iowa (under

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4368-420: The future plays. They were all at Estelle Taylor's estate when this conversation occurred, and from the beginning it attracted a film industry crowd. It served as a showcase for young talent, as a place for stars of the silent era to demonstrate their voices for talking pictures, and as an elegant way to transition from stage to film by being seen by Hollywood talent scouts. MGM dramatic coach Oliver Hinsdell

4452-408: The global lockdown of COVID-19 pandemic. The show stars Mitsuki Takahata as Jenna and Mamoru Miyano as Dr. Pomatter and plans on touring in 3 other Japanese cities until May 2021. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, part of the show's creative team travelled to Japan and quarantined before the start of the rehearsal process, while others worked remotely. A Danish-language production was set to open at

4536-490: The good doctor being Jenna's lost soulmate, despite his loving bedside manner... Mueller's performance transcends the show's imperfections. She's funny, frisky and likable. She sings Bareilles' songs beautifully... director Diane Paulus fills the production with clever touches – a scalloped pie-crust proscenium, a fluid and easygoing flow and a natural truthfulness in the performances." For the Broadway production, many critics found Bareilles' score and Mueller's performance to be

4620-540: The guidance of Education Director Joyce Presutti. With three seasons of programming and performances and students transitioning into mainstage productions, the Academy continues to grow and thrive in bold new ways. Ogunquit Playhouse was established by Walter and Maude Hartwig in 1933 in a renovated garage in the center of Ogunquit, Maine. As part of the Little Theatre Movement of the 1920s and early 30s, Walter Hartwig organized an annual theatre tournament in New York. When

4704-683: The highlights of the show. Charles Isherwood of The New York Times gave a mixed review of the show, but called Mueller's performance "a high point of the Broadway season". Time Out New York gave the production four stars and said, " Waitress has an excellent ratio of sweet to tart; supporting characters who provide crustiness (Dakin Matthews's grumbly store owner) and flakiness (Christopher Fitzgerald's loony admirer of another waitress); and cooked-to-perfection staging by Diane Paulus. The whole dish is—please forgive me—love at first bite." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter said, "...the material

4788-414: The hospital on his way to surgery. Joe gives Jenna an envelope, and tells her not to open it until she leaves the hospital. Earl, Becky and Dawn, and even Dr. Pomatter's wife, who is a resident at the hospital, crowd the delivery room. Jenna cries out in distress and gives birth. She names her daughter Lulu. Earl reminds Jenna of her promise not to love Lulu more than him, and Jenna finally tells him she wants

4872-604: The last decades of the century, producers and playwrights began to create narratives dealing with social problems, albeit usually on a sensational level. While not yet totally free of melodramatic elements, plays reflecting a style more associated with realism gradually emerged. During a secret meeting in 1895, the owners of most of the theatres across America organized into a Theatrical Syndicate "to control competition and prices." This group, which included all major producers, "effectively stifled dramatic experimentation for many years" in search of greater profits. Nevertheless, by

4956-581: The late Marvin Hamlisch, the World Premiere of Mr. Holland’s Opus written and directed by B.D. Wong and the regional premiere of Beautiful, The Carole King Musical . In 2024, the Playhouse presented productions of Waitress , Crazy For You , A Little Night Music , Little Shop of Horrors , and the world premiere of My Best Friend's Wedding. Shows by season for the last 13 seasons: * – World premiere ** – Regional premiere *** – Play, not

5040-667: The massive theo-philosophical epic Lazarus Laughed by Eugene O'Neill . The first fully realized production of this play, the cast included 250 primarily local amateur actors, often doubling in roles that required more than three hundred masks and costumes. Actor Harold Lloyd and others founded the Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals in 1931. It was originally housed at the Wilkes Vine Street Theatre, and by 1938 had moved to Santa Monica boulevard. This 400-seat theater bore

5124-569: The music and lyrics, and direction by Diane Paulus. The Weisslers purchased the stage rights to the film shortly after its release in 2007. Paula Vogel withdrew from the project in January 2014. On December 11, 2014, the musical was officially confirmed, and it was announced that the show would receive its world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as part of their 2015–2016 season, with Jessie Nelson now writing

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5208-571: The names of the founder-subscribers on the seat backs. A piece in Variety noted that Lloyd's mother, Sarah Elisabeth Fraser, along with Gladys Lloyd Cassell (wife of Edward G. Robinson ), and their friend Sam Hardy raised funds for it. Even before it opened there were rumors in Hollywood that something from the little theatre movement was on its way. Cal York (a Photoplay gossip column pseudonym for an amalgam of California and New York), overheard Franc Dillon ask Kenneth Harlan to be in one of

5292-413: The new science of psychoanalysis, began to be presented in smaller venues, many converted from other uses into makeshift theatres. The new groups began to experiment with new forms of storytelling, acting styles, dialogue, and mise-en-scene . This experimentation, influenced by European models, ranged from an ultra-detailed naturalism to, by the early 1920s, a wildly provocative expressionism , part of

5376-616: The official opening on August 19, 2015, for a limited run to September 27, 2015. Tickets for the production sold out. The show was directed by Diane Paulus , with choreography by Chase Brock, set design by Scott Pask , costume design by Suttirat Anne Larlarb , lighting design by Kenneth Posner , musical direction by Nadia DiGiallonardo, and sound by Jonathan Deans. The cast featured Jessie Mueller as Jenna, Drew Gehling as Jim, Joe Tippett as Earl, Jeanna de Waal as Dawn, Keala Settle as Becky, Dakin Matthews as Joe, Jeremy Morse as Ogie, and Eric Anderson as Cal. Mueller notably won

5460-524: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to a not-yet-decided date. Refunds have been issued to ticket holders. The production is then planned to tour across the country. Sponsored and produced by Toho , Fuji Television and Kyodo Tokyo, a Japanese production of Waitress the Musical premiered in Tokyo , Japan on 9 March 2021 at the Nissay Theatre . It is the first production to open since

5544-662: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the tour began on 4 September 2021 at the New Wimbledon Theatre , running until 20 August 2022 at the Theatre Royal, Norwich . Lucie Jones , Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins reprised the roles of Jenna, Becky and Dawn from the West End production. Matt Willis also starred as Dr Pomatter, with Christopher D Hunt as Cal and Jenna played by Chelsea Halfpenny from 2022. The first international production, produced by Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group, debuted in November 2018 at

5628-791: The other half around the house in order to save up for entering the pie contest. Dawn's date, Ogie, visits the diner. Dawn believes that their first date did not go well, but Ogie insists on finding out more about Dawn and helping her overcome her anxiety ("Never Ever Getting Rid of Me"). Dawn and Ogie realize how much they have in common, such as their mutual enjoyment of American Revolution reenactments. Jenna makes an appointment with Dr. Pomatter, where he comes in two hours early just to see her again. Jenna confronts Dr. Pomatter, accusing him of being strange, but then she impulsively kisses him. Though both are married, they decide to escape their frustrating lives, and have sex in his office ("Bad Idea"). After her tryst, Jenna discovers Becky and Cal making out at

5712-407: The prop pies used in the show. To help immerse audiences, real pies are warming as they enter the theater, creating the aroma of a pie shop; slices of pie are for sale. Cast changes included Nick Cordero taking over the role of Earl, Kimiko Glenn as Dawn, and Christopher Fitzgerald, who took part in the New York workshop, as Ogie. During previews, the production set a new box-office record for

5796-495: The role of Joe from the US tour. Eddie Jemison reprised his role of Ogie from the film and Al Roker has played the role of Joe twice since 2018. The production closed on January 5, 2020, after 33 previews and 1,544 regular performances. On May 5, 2021, Barry Weissler announced that a remount of the original production, once again starring Bareilles, would open following the reopening of Broadway theatres. The show returned in

5880-600: The role on Broadway, as Jenna and Jack McBrayer as Ogie. Lucie Jones took over the role of Jenna on June 17, 2019. Desi Oakley made a return to the show in London as Jenna after playing the role on the U.S. tour for a two-week period beginning January 13. This was when Jones as well as her understudies, Sarah O’Connor and Olivia Moore, were ill and therefore unable to perform. Bareilles and Gavin Creel reunited in London on January 28, 2020. Though set to have an eight-week engagement, they left London after their performance on 14 March due to travel restrictions imposed during

5964-613: The second decade of the 20th century, pure melodrama, with its typed characters and exaggerated plots, had become the province of motion pictures. Chicago's philanthropists and arts patrons Arthur T. and Mary Aldis established an artists' colony called The Compound in Lake Forest, Illinois . In 1910, Mary founded there the Aldis Playhouse, "a predecessor to the 'little theater' movement". The Hull House settlement theatre group, founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr,

6048-734: The show will be presented at the mytic Théâtre St-Denis in Montreal and Salle Albert-Rousseau in Quebec City. The 2021 Broadway production starring Bareilles and Gehling was recorded for a future public release, with STEAM Motion + Sound producing the film. The film held its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 12, 2023, and was released theatrically on December 7, 2023 by Bleecker Street and Fathom Events . Waitress features an original score, with music and lyrics by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles . In

6132-452: The show's all female team by launching the #CeilingBreaker campaign and distributing free tickets. Jenna is a waitress and expert pie baker at Joe's Pie Diner in the American South. She bakes pies to distract herself from her unhappiness with her home life ("What's Inside"). She begins another day at the diner with her boss Cal and fellow waitresses Becky and Dawn ("Opening Up"). After Jenna almost throws up, Becky and Dawn convince her to take

6216-659: The songs to the show before selfishly finding a way to sing them myself." The original Broadway cast recording was released as a digital download on June 3, and the physical release followed on July 1, 2016. The album was produced by Bareilles with Neal Avron and recorded by DMI Soundtracks. The show garnered generally mixed-to-positive reviews in both runs. Frank Rizzo, reviewing the Boston production for Variety , wrote: "...making Earl so relentlessly horrible makes Jenna's inability to leave him not just indecisive but something more worrisome... Meanwhile, there's little evidence for

6300-718: The staging methods at the Théâtre Libre in Paris, the Freie Bühne in Berlin, and the Moscow Art Theatre . Seeking larger audiences and with more complicated production ambitions, by the early 1920s, several leading companies of the movement had turned professional. The Provincetown Players , who produced O'Neill's first one-acts, moved to New York in 1916; members of the former Washington Square Players formed

6384-571: The time. O'Neill joined the Provincetown Players in 1916; they performed his first play Bound East for Cardiff that year. After moving to New York, they formed the Provincetown Playhouse, which is still in operation. Other new little theaters started as community theater groups and university drama programs in the United States and Canada. Theatre Arts Monthly magazine dedicated its July issue from 1924 through

6468-423: Was a frequent director there in the early years. The Little Theatre Movement began in the early 20th century and was a result of young theatre practitioners, dramaturges, stage technicians, stage designers, and actors, who were influenced by European Theatre. More specifically, they were interested in the ideas of Max Reinhardt , a German director, the designing techniques of Adolphe Appia and Gordon Craig , and

6552-484: Was able to complete many projects beyond the scope of professional companies, thanks to volunteer labor, widespread community support and the directorship of Gilmor Brown . Notable undertakings of the Pasadena Playhouse include the staging of the entire canon of Shakespeare for the first time on a single stage and a Midsummer Drama Festival showcasing the work of local writers. In 1928, the Playhouse produced

6636-710: Was active in the Alice Gerstenberg Experimental Theatre Workshop in the 1950s and the Alice Gerstenberg Theatre in the 1960s, which helped to cultivate the legacy of the Little Theatre Movement of the early 20th century. In 1912, two theatre groups were formed, the Toy Theatre in Boston and the Chicago Little Theatre; these events often being cited as the official start of the Little Theatre Movement in

6720-596: Was done by Lily Ann Martin and Pablo del Campo. The production closed on August 4, 2019. The Gordon Frost Organisation is planning a production to open in 2020 at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney . Casting and dates are to be announced. Another production is planned to play in the Netherlands featuring Willemijn Verkaik as Jenna and Jonathan Demoor as Dr. Pomatter. It was planned to open in 2020, however due to

6804-420: Was dying, he left her the diner in his will and testament ; Joe also wanted Jenna to "name a pie after me when I'm gone". Five years later, the diner has been rechristened "Lulu's Pies" and Jenna, the owner and head chef, is content that her life has finally turned around ("Opening Up (Finale)"). Waitress began previews at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts , on August 2, 2015, before

6888-782: Was founded in 1935 at the height of the movement, and is still active, as is the University of Northern Colorado 's Little Theatre of the Rockies, founded by Helen Langworthy in 1934. Comparable theatres were also established in Canada around the same time: the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto (1908), the Hart House Theatre at the University of Toronto (1919), and the Play Workshop (1934) are all notable examples. As in

6972-542: Was restored as a rehearsal space. At the same time, the Children's Theatre Program began, and continues today. The program provides a number of educational opportunities for children and teens interested in theatre, both as performers and behind-the-scenes. In 2006, Bradford Kenney came on board as the new Executive Artistic Director. The theatre expanded from a 10-week to a 21-week season. Ogunquit Playhouse celebrated its 75th year in 2007 with seven shows. The season included

7056-598: Was the first to perform several plays by Galsworthy , Ibsen , and Shaw in Chicago . Maurice Browne , director and co-founder of the Chicago Little Theatre with Ellen Van Volkenburg , responding to having often been called the founder of the Little Theatre Movement, instead credited Hull House director Laura Dainty Pelham with being the "true founder of the 'American Little Theatre Movement ' ". Nevertheless, Browne and Van Volkenburg's company had, as

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