Waitress celebrates its 10th year of production at Sunderland Empire
Written by Bianca Burdulea on 23rd March 2026
The hit musical Waitress is coming to Sunderland Empire from 4 – 9 May, 2026, to celebrate its 10th year of production since it first opened on Broadway on April 24, 2016.
Producers Barry & Fran Weissler and David Ian have recently announced their brand-new cast.
Mark Wilshire will reprise his role as Earl from the West End company production. Alongside him there is Sandra Marvin as Becky, Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn, and Les Dennis as Joe.
Joining them will be Dan Partrige as Dr Pomatter, Mark Anderson as Ogie and Dan O’Brien as Cal, with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. The casting for Jenna is yet to be announced.
Waitress is a musical that has become like an old friend to many over the years, Bareilles said the atmosphere “feels so warm in the theatres where this story is being told. So many people are no longer new to Waitress, they come with their own history and relationship to the show and the music, and you can really feel that familiarity in the room, it’s beautiful.”
The famous song “She Used To Be Mine” from Waitress has become a modern musical-theatre anthem: “I never imagined the song would take on such a life of its own, but the fact that it resonates so deeply, and people find catharsis in sharing it is a profound joy,” said Bareilles.
She also hopes that the audience will take away “the heart” of this production. Bareilles added: “Our show is about flawed people who all deserve love.”
“They, like the rest of us out here in the world, are doing the best they can. They don’t always get it right, but they persevere, that is really something.”
Waitress first opened on Broadway on April 24, 2016, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where it ran until January 5, 2020. The show has reached a global success with further productions in: North America, Japan, Holland, a French language production in Canada, a Spanish language production in Mexico and coming this spring an Australian production in Melbourne and Sydney.
Make sure you don’t miss out on Waitress from 4 – 9 May and get your tickets at ATG Tickets now.
Credit: Sunderland Empire (Bianca Burdulea)
