Broadway hit ‘Waitress’ opens at West Springfield’s Majestic Theater (2025)

“Sugar, butter, flour,” three key words repeated throughout the Broadway hit musical “Waitress,” can be heard echoing throughout West Springfield’s Majestic Theater beginning on Thursday, April 17.

The popular play created by Jessie Nelson, with music and lyrics by acclaimed singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles, made its debut at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge before running on Broadway from 2016 to 2020.

Based on the 2007 indie film of the same name, the play follows the story of Jenna, a waitress at Joe’s Pie Diner in the South. Growing up, Jenna learned to bake from her mother, who had a pie recipe for just about every life situation. As an adult, baking becomes more than just a vocation - it’s her greatest joy and the best medicine for dealing with her dysfunctional marriage and the disappointments of her small-town life. “Waitress” features an eclectic cast of characters who bring this hopeful story to life and bring audiences on a journey full of new love, new life and finding out what a little “sugar, butter and flour” can do.

The cast includes Chelsie Nectow as Jenna, Gregory Boover as Dr. Pomatter, Yewande Odetoyinbo as Becky, Lyndsay Hart as Dawn, Nicholas Futris as Ogie, Michael King as Earl, Mark Dean as Joe, and Joshua Mason as Cal.

The Majestic’s Associate Producing Director Sue Dziura will also direct this play.

“The music is top notch and beautiful and the story, set in a small town, is relatable about real people and their relationships and resiliency. The main character, Jenna, is stuck in life given her circumstances. The play focuses on her moving beyond those challenges and creating a better life for herself while working in a diner noted for her own recipe pies that she bakes,” Dziura said.

Chelsie Nectow plays pie maker Jenna.

“It is really a treat to be working as an actor on a show that is so well written, but that is not always the case with some authors. For me, personally, it makes it much easier to access how my character is feeling when the music and lyrics reflect where Jenna’s character is emotionally at the time,” Nectow said

She agrees with the director that the characters, especially Jenna who she portrays, are “relatable.”

“I think just about anyone can sympathize with what Jenna is going through... how she puts her emotions and feelings aside to focus on her busy life. As with many of us, Jenna is dealing with the rat race of day-to-day life between work and family. There isn’t simply enough time for her to sit down and reflect on what she is feeling,” Nectow said.

There is a “method to her madness,” as the saying goes, when Jenna is baking up a storm in the kitchen.

“Baking her pies gives Jenna an escape, but it is not necessarily always a healthy escape. It means she is not confronting some real issues in her life. Yet even though she hasn’t been dealt an easy hand in life, Jenna still manages to treat those in her life with love and compassion. Her kindness and strength are compelling, and we are eventually led on a journey where she stands up for herself and begins to make changes her life,” Nectow said.

“All of Jenna’s pies have really eccentric names based on what is happening in her life, such as ‘My Husband Is a Jerk Chicken Pot Pie,” she added.

While not a pastry chef of Jenna’s accord, Nectow noted that she “loves pies.”

“Key lime pie, chocolate cream, lemon meringue and fruit pies are among my favorites,” she said.

And what would a night at the theater be without some pie? Granny’s Pie Factory in East Hartford is the Majestic’s pie sponsor for the show, and their pies will be for sale in The Majestic’s café.

Tickets to the show- which runs through June 1 - range in price from $35 to $38 and can be purchased in person at the box office or by calling 413-747-7797. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, visit www.majestictheater.com