Theatre Cedar Rapids took a big chance, and it’s now paid off in a big way.
TCR announced today (Jan. 16) it has landed the rights to the regional premiere of the stage production of “Waitress,” which will be presented at TCR from June 21 to July 28.
“I am just over the moon that we have been granted this opportunity,” TCR executive director Katie Hallman said.
Unlike touring Broadway productions, this version of “Waitress” will be produced locally by Theatre Cedar Rapids staff and cast primarily with performers from the Cedar Rapids region, befitting TCR’s status as a nonprofit community theater organization, Ms. Hallman said.
“TCR seasons are cast with people that we know and love, or are discovered from the Cedar Rapids area,” she said. “I anticipate that continuing to be the thrust of any show that we do.”
While TCR recently learned they had been granted the rights to produce “Waitress,” the organization had been pursuing the show for some time, Ms. Hallman said.
“I was able to talk with the head of our licensing agency, and we had been holding out hope for this title for our summer slot,” she said. “That’s why we had previously announced our summer show as TBD. It had actually been in the pipeline for us to have it licensed pre-pandemic, and then everything changed from a commercial theater side. And in order to recoup losses from the pandemic, a lot of shows went back out on tour, or even went back on Broadway, so things were really in an upheaval.
“Going into last season’s planning, I invited the team and board to take a little bit of a risk with me,” she added. “I was saying ‘it’s going to come through but we might not hear about it.’ And we didn’t hear about it until the very end of the year. We got confirmation and we were able to sign on the dotted line in December.”
Only a limited number of theater organizations nationwide are given the rights to produce a show on the economic and artistic scale of “Waitress,” Ms. Hallman said, adding she would compare the regional premiere of “Waitress” to TCR’s production of “Les Miserables” in 2014 – one of the first community-based nonprofit theater companies in the world to present the French musical epic.
“TCRs size and stature in the country allows us to get these early offers or limited releases from licensing companies,” Ms. Hallman said. “They want to go out to theaters that are going to be able to make the biggest splash, and ‘Waitress’ isn’t going to be available to license for very long – I think it’s only 18 months. We know that we’re doing it in a premier spot regionally (because) we held on to this 2024 summer slot. Our colleagues in Omaha will do it next season, and some of our colleagues of size are doing it in their next season as well.”
TCR also has had a close relationship with theatrical licensing agency Music Theatre International for nearly 40 years, Ms. Hallman said.
“The way the industry works is that producers and creators will work with different licensing agencies to license a show property to theaters across the country,” she said. “So because TCR is the largest nonprofit producing theater in the state of Iowa, we are a first call for the head of our licensing division at MTI. So that’s how the business of it works, based on the longstanding relationship that my predecessors, and now I, have held with these licensing agencies.”
Via Broadway World, here’s a brief synopsis of “Waitress,” the Tony-nominated musical that premiered on Broadway in 2016:
“‘Waitress’ tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When a baking contest in a nearby county offers her a chance at escape, Jenna fights to reclaim a long-forgotten part of herself. Through the support of her fellow waitresses, and an unexpected romance, Jenna begins to find the courage to take a long-abandoned dream off the shelf. ‘Waitress’ celebrates the power of friendship, dreams, the family we choose and the beauty of a well baked pie.”
Even as a theater veteran, Ms. Hallman said she’s extremely fond of “Waitress,” especially the score composed by well-known musician and performer Sara Bareilles.
“The music is what I love the most about it,” she said. “I mean, I sing the songs to my kids as lullabies. I love this music. It’s a singer’s musical, it’s funny and it’s absolutely heartwarming.”
Tickets to “Waitress” may be purchased online at theatrecr.org, by calling 319-366-8591, or by visiting the TCR box office at 102 Third St. SE between noon and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
TCR subscribers receive early access, 25% off tickets, free exchanges, and other VIP benefits. To become a season subscriber, call the TCR box office or visit www.theatrecr.org/subscribe.
