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The smash hit Broadway musical Waitress will return for a limited engagement

And there’s even more good news – from September 2 through October 17, Sara Bareilles, the Grammy Award-winning composer of Waitress, will return to the leading role of Jenna! Sara previously played the role of Jenna after Jessie Mueller departed from the show’s original run. She also stepped into the role a few other times throughout the show’s original tenure.

She also played the role in London, but was forced to leave the production early.

“I couldn’t miss the opportunity to be there when Broadway welcomes audiences back into theaters that have been sitting dark for over a year,” Sara said in a statement. “It is a gift to get to revisit the beautiful story of Waitress, centered around hope, resilience, and the support of our chosen family. It’s so special to be able to celebrate those same qualities at this moment in time within our theater family.”

The limited run will take place from September 2, 2021 – January 9, 2022. Stay tuned to find out which actress will take over for Sara when she departs the role on October 17.

Lucy Hale sang on the season finale of her The CW series Katy Keene and you can listen to her performance right here!

The 30-year-old actress performed the song “She Used to Be Mine,” which was written by Sara Bareilles for the Broadway musical Waitress.

Lucy explained on The Talk this week that the song is actually one of her favorite songs of all time.

“I get to sing ‘She Used To Be Mine’ from the Broadway musical Waitress, sung by Sara Bareilles. It was like one of my top three favorite songs before they told me I was going to sing this song. So, it’s kind of a full circle moment. It’s a big song to tackle, so I’m glad they trusted me with it,” Lucy said. “We have a lot of Broadway’s legends on the show and a lot of Broadway influences.”

Listen to Katharine McPhee‘s studio version of the song from when she was in Waitress!

The London production of Sara Bareilles‘ hit musical Waitress has officially closed and it will not return when West End performances resume later this year.

Sara was reprising her role as Jenna in the musical this month and cut her run short in order to travel home safely amid concerns over travel bans. Her final performance was on March 14 and that ended up being the show’s final performance as well.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of our beloved London production of Waitress the Musical. As you’ll be aware, we’ve had to temporarily lower the curtain at the Adelphi Theatre and it’s now unlikely that the diner will reopen once this period of uncertainty is over,” the producers said in a statement. “If things do change and there is a world in which we believe we could continue a run at the Adelphi before July 4, we will be in touch with you. Ticket holders will be contacted in due course by their point of purchase.”

The Broadway production of Waitress closed earlier this year.

Sara Bareilles has announced that she and co-star Gavin Creel will be leaving the London cast of Waitress earlier than planned so that they can get back to the U.S. before travel restrictions are put in place because of Coronavirus.

The two stars were scheduled to play the roles of Jenna and Dr. Pomatter in the musical through March 21, but they will now play their final show on March 14.

“It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter to inform you that Gavin and I will be playing our final performance the evening of March 14,” Sara wrote in a letter posted on social media. “Given the recent international travel restrictions, we’ve made the very difficult decision, before any further measures are implemented, to return home. It was an agonizing choice as we have so loved our time here at the Adelphi diner. The warmth and generosity of the West End audiences have been unparalleled.”

“It was a gift to get the opportunity to tell this story again alongside this masterful cast, crew, and band. We will miss you all dearly. Sugar Butter London Forever, Sara and Gavin,” they concluded the letter.

Sara and Gavin, who are longtime BFFs, previously starred in the musical together on Broadway in January 2019.

While West End shows in London are currently performing as usual, all of Broadway has been canceled through April 12.

Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel are all smiles as they strike a pose together while attending the press night after party for Waitress: The Musical at The Groucho Club on Wednesday (January 29) in London, England.

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and Gavin recently announced that they will co-host the next Cast Album Karaoke Night at the musical’s home, the Adelphi Theatre in the West End.

The Cast Album Karaoke sessions began with the New York production. Sara and Gavin play a limited six-week engagement before Lucie Jones and David Hunter return to the roles.

The post-show event will take place following the February 24 performance, according to Playbill.

READ MORE: Sara Bareilles Wins Her First-Ever Grammy Award!

Sara Bareilles hits the stage with co-star Gavin Creel while promoting their upcoming run in the musical Waitress on Monday (January 20) at the Adelphi Theatre in London, England.

The longtime friends are bringing their performances to the West End after starring in the show together on Broadway last year. Joining them at the press event was Marisha Wallace, who plays Becky in the show.

Sara wrote the music for Waitress and she did three runs in the show throughout its Broadway run. The musical closed in New York City two weeks ago, but it’s still running in London.

In a chat with BBC, Sara commented on the possibility of the musical version of Waitress becoming a movie. (If you didn’t know, the musical is actually based on a film)

“I would love to see that happen, absolutely,” Sara said. “And I’m already working with JJ Abrams, so I’ve got somebody to call!”

Sara is working with JJ on the upcoming Apple series Little Voice.

The Broadway musical Waitress has officially closed after a nearly four-year run in the Big Apple!

Sara Bareilles, the composer of the musical, joined the cast and creative team during the final curtain call on Sunday night (January 5) at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York City.

During her speech, Sara thanked the show’s final Jenna, Katharine McPhee, for all of the hard work she’s done for the show over the last couple years.

Kat made sure to give special recognition to Jenna understudy Stephanie Torns, who has been with the show since it’s beginning stages over five years ago. While running on stage for her final bow, Kat grabbed Stephanie and pulled her to center stage to share the spotlight. Such a sweet moment!

Waitress is still playing around the world with a National Tour currently running and the London production still going strong. Sara will be joining the London cast later this month!