(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The newly renovated State Theatre New Jersey presents Waitress for four performances from April 14-16. Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage.

Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts that mirror her topsy-turvy life such as “The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie” and “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.” When a baking contest in a nearby county—and a satisfying encounter with someone new—show Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness. 

Performances take place Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 8:00pm; Friday, April 15 at 8:00pm; and Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 pm and 8:00pm. Tickets range from $40-$98 and are available for purchase online or by calling State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-SHOW (7469). State Theatre Guest Services, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open by phone and email only, Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. For in-person purchases, Guest Services is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Additional ticket and transaction fees may apply. 

Waitress opened April 24, 2016, at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Based upon the 2007 motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress is the first Broadway musical in history to have four women in the four top creative team spots, with a book by Jessie Nelson, a score by Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (composer of “Love Song” and “Brave”), choreography by Lorin Latarro, and direction by Tony® Award-winner Diane Paulus. The Waitress tour features choreography re-created by Abbey O’Brien, tour direction re-created by Susanna Wolk, and includes Scott Pask, scenic design; Suttirat Anne Larlarb, costume design; Ken Billington, lighting design; Jonathan Deans, sound design; wigs by Richard Mawbey; original music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo, with tour music supervision by Ryan Cantwell. Arrangements by Nadia DiGiallonardo and Sara Bareilles, and orchestrations by Sara Bareilles and The Waitress Band. Waitress is produced by NETworks Presentations LLC. Casting by Stewart/Whitley. 

NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS (Producer) is an industry leading producer of touring musical theater productions committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide. Having produced national and international tours over 20 years, NETworks’ productions include Cameron Mackintosh’s The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, The Band’s Visit, A Bronx Tale, Blue Man Group Speechless Tour, Fiddler on the Roof, Once On This Island, Nickelodeon’s The SpongeBob Musical, and Waitress. 

After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey has reopened and celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater including newly renovated lobbies, all new restrooms, upgraded HVAC systems, a new elevator for access to all levels, and brand-new theater seats. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed online.

Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a non-profit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances. 

State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. 

PHOTO: Kennedy Salters, Jisel Soleil Ayon and Gabriella Marzetta. Photo by Jeremy Daniel