Producer John Frost for Crossroads Live has confirmed that Broadway musical Waitress will, ahead of its Sydney season to commence in August 2026, the musical has locked in its Melbourne season at Her Majesty’s Theatre from May 2026. A waitlist for Melbourne tickets is now open at the official Waitress the Musical Australia website ahead of tickets going on sale.
Based on Adrienne Shelly’s film of the same name, Waitress is brought to the stage by a female led creative team. The musical features a book by screenwriter Jessie Nelson, an original score by Grammy winner Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Lataro and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus. The story centres on Jenna, a small town waitress and skilled pie maker who feels trapped in an unhappy marriage and dreams of starting over.
The plot follows Jenna as a baking contest, a new romantic connection and the support of her fellow waitresses present her with the possibility of change. Through these developments she begins to discover that the key to her own happiness may be closer than she first believed, with themes of resilience, friendship and self worth underpinning the narrative.
Sara Bareilles said bringing the show to Australian audiences had long been an ambition, and described its themes as broadly relatable:
It’s been a dream of mine to see WAITRESS (finally) find its way to Australia. This story is about dreams, friendship and the courage needed to learn to love oneself, which feels so universal, and so timely. Over the years we have witnessed such an incredible embrace of this show, and I’m so proud to be a part of the team that is bringing you something so full of heart and soul. I’m so excited for Melbourne and Sydney audiences to experience WAITRESS.
Producer John Frost framed the upcoming Australian seasons in the context of the show’s track record on Broadway and abroad:
I’m thrilled to be this original and inspiring production to Australia. WAITRESS became a massive hit on Broadway where it played for almost four years, receiving four Tony nominations and six Drama Desk nominations, as well as many other awards and nominations. It had a return season on Broadway, played the West End from 2019, toured the US three times, and was a huge hit in many countries across the world. WAITRESS has become a ‘must see’ musical, with its memorable music by Sara Bareilles and universal themes of hope and resilience.
