Max Is Serving Up Audiences a Slice of Joy When ‘Waitress: The Musical’ Arrives Next Month

With Valentine’s Day hastily approaching, we could all use a little more love in our lives. Thankfully, Max is clocking in to save the day with the streamer announcing the impending arrival of Waitress: The Musical on February 14. This will be the first time the Tony Award-nominated musical has been available on streaming and marks an exciting moment for those of us who love a good bit of live theater delivered directly to our living room - even more of a reason why we never need to leave the house again! The production features a leading performance by none other than Sara Bareilles who wrote the music and lyrics for the beloved musical that first graced stages a full decade ago (why?!) in 2015.

Based on the Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion-led 2007 film of the same name, Waitress: The Musical puts toe-tapping numbers and catchy tunes to the movie penned by the late Adrienne Shelly. Driven by Bareilles’ pop know-how and a book by Jessie Nelson, the musical centers around a small town gal named Jenna Hunterson (Bareilles). Times are tough for Jenna, who’s trapped in an abusive marriage, but things go from bad to worse when she discovers that she and her husband are expecting. Concerned about her future and that of her unborn child’s, she runs towards a promising opportunity to enter a pie baking contest with a life-changing grand prize.

Helping to breathe life back into The Great White Way following the shutdowns imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the version of Waitress: The Musical that Max audiences will see was filmed back in 2021 when Broadway was just beginning to open its doors again. Joining Bareilles in the Brett Sullivan-helmed live feature production is an ensemble that includes Drew Gehling (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Charity Angél Dawson (Little Voice), Caitlin Houlahan (Peter Pan Live!), Dakin Matthews (Gilmore Girls), Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown), Eric Anderson (Kinky Boots) and Christopher Fitzgerald (Wicked).

Sarah Bareilles’ Crossover Into Acting

While she may have won us over with the chart-topping 2007 tune, “Love Song”, before going on to pen hit after hit, Bareilles’ crossover onto stage and film was a longtime coming. The two-time Grammy Award winner raised her voice in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert before going on to be one of the five main cast members in the hilarious and gone-too-soon comedy series, Girls5Eva. Her work on the stage also didn’t end with Waitress: The Musical, as she’s since appeared in productions including the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Scott Brown and Anthony King’s Gutenberg! The Musical!

Dance your way over to Max on February 14 for the steaming debut of Waitress: The Musical, and see where it all began when the feature-length film, Waitress, arrives on the platform on February 1.