Waitress: The Musical

Waitress (also known by its promotional title Waitress: The Musical) is a 2023 American musical comedy-drama film of the stage musical, which premiered in 2015. It was recorded live at a 2.5 hour long performance of the stage musical. The 2007 film Waitress upon which the stage musical was in turn based, was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. With music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, the musical explores themes of female empowerment, personal transformation, and resilience, through the story of Jenna, a small-town waitress and expert pie baker who seeks to escape her unhappy marriage to an abusive husband.

The film was produced in 2021 during its limited run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City. The film features the cast of this remounting, including Bareilles (who also serves as a producer), Charity Angél Dawson, Caitlin Houlahan, Drew Gehling, Dakin Matthews, Eric Anderson, Joe Tippett, and Christopher Fitzgerald. Diane Paulus directed the production, with Brett Sullivan directing the live filming and Nelson serving as a creative advisor. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12, 2023, was theatrically released by Bleecker Street in the United States on December 7, 2023, and received positive reviews from critics.