The stellar cast for the Australian premiere of Broadway smash-hit musical ‘Waitress’ is here.
‘Waitress’ will light up Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne from May, and Sydney’s Lyric Theatre from August.
Leading the cast, as Jenna, will be Natalie Bassingthwaighte (‘Chicago’, ‘Shirley Valentine’). Natalie’s music career has seen her achieve acclaim as one of only 20 Australian solo female artists to reach #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. She’s also enjoyed international success as front woman of Rogue Traders and has played many memorable characters on stage.
Meanwhile Gabriyel Thomas (‘Cats’, ‘Sister Act’) and Mackenzie Dunn (‘Grease’, ‘Annie’) play Becky and Dawn, Jenna’s diner coworkers. Gabriyel comes direct from her acclaimed performance as Grizabella in the national tour of ‘Cats’, while Mackenzie Dunn has played Rizzo in ‘Grease’, Penny Pingleton in ‘Hairspray’, and more.
Charismatic stage and screen star Rob Mills (‘& Juliet’, ‘Wicked’) will play Dr Pomatter. Beyond his celebrated roles in the likes of ‘& Juliet’ and ‘Wicked’, he’s also appeared on screen in ‘Neighbours’, ‘Winners And Losers’, ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and ‘The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition’.
Legendary actor John Waters (‘The Woman In Black’, ‘Play School’) will be Joe, the diner owner. John has a career spanning more than 50 years, and is well-known for lead roles in the film ‘Breaker Morant’ and the television series’ Rush’, ‘All The Rivers Run’, ‘Rake’, and his 20-year run on ‘Play School’. . . Plus stage work on the likes of ‘Hair’, Godspell’, ‘The Rocky Horror Show’, ‘The Sound Of Music’ opposite Lisa McCune, and recently ‘The Woman In Black’.
“I’m overjoyed to announce this extraordinarily talented cast,” Producer John Frost says. “They will beautifully bring to life the delightful characters in this original and inspiring production.”
“‘Waitress’ was a massive hit on Broadway where it played for almost four years, and was a huge success in the West End and across the world. ‘Waitress’ has become a ‘must see’ musical, with its memorable music by Sara Bareilles and universal themes of hope and resilience. Get your tickets now to enjoy this life-affirming show.”
’Waitress’ plays Her Majesty’s Theatre (Melbourne) from 1 May, and Lyric Theatre (Sydney) from 1 August.
