Tony-Nominated Musical Kicks Off National Tour In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- The touching and funny musical Waitress is on its first national tour.
Baltimore is Waitress' first stop on the East Coast, and in each city, they're featuring two young actresses to be a part of the production, another reason to catch the Tony-nominated musical.
Waitress is a story about a young woman named Jenna, a waitress and pie maker in an unhappy marriage, who enters a baking contest with dreams of starting a new life.
"Something for everyone, men, women, not too young but many ages, and you are going to have fun, but also be touched and that's the best kind of storytelling you can have," said Lenne Klingaman who plays Jenna's friend and fellow waitress Dawn.
Inspired by the film Waitress, the musical has a groundbreaking all-female creative team.
"Not just telling a story about a woman named Jenna, but these are stories being told by women, and women can tell stories universally for everyone," Klingaman said.
Waitress also selects two young stars from every city they tour to play the role of Lulu. Baltimore's tour will feature Kori Mitchell and Tempi Oppel, which sweetens this story of love, friendship and motherhood.
"The story is encouraging people to look within, and be their truest self, as complex and messy as that is, to live out loud basically, and have people around you that encourage that," Klingaman said.
It's a heartwarming tale that reminds its audience to follow their own recipes for happiness.
And if you come to watch Waitress, make sure you have room for dessert, they will be serving pies you can buy, the same ones they have up on stage.
The play also features original music and lyrics by Grammy nominated Sara Bareilles.
The national tour is scheduled to run through the end of August.
The play opened Tuesday night at the Hippodrome Theatre and will be playing through the weekend.
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