Just for Laughs is working on the first-ever French-language adaptation of the American musical Waitresshave learned The newspaper. The show will be shown in Montreal and next year in Quebec City.
For four years now, Just for Laughs has been trying to get hold of the rights to the four-time Tony Award-nominated musical show. Patrick Rozon fell in love with the work of Sara Bareilles after seeing a performance of Waitress in London’s West End.
“It’s a show that’s very different and very contemporary. The emotional power of the waitress is phenomenal; We get carried away by the music and the story,” says Just for Laughs Group’s vice president of French language content.
Broken heart and pastries
This story is about Jenna Hunterson, a waitress trapped in a loveless marriage with an abusive spouse. When she finds out she’s pregnant, she finds the lifeline she’s been so desperate for in a pastry contest.
First written and brought to screens by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress made the leap to Broadway in 2016 thanks to the work of singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. Since then, the musical has been performed and acclaimed around the world.
However, the echo of this success did not necessarily reach the Quebec public. And that’s a risk, admits Patrick Rozon, knowing full well that he can’t rely on the reputation of a musical comedy à la Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins or Hair.
“I didn’t think for a second about the popularity of the title when I wanted to present this show in Quebec. I went there with the feeling that got me after watching: It’s a universal story, songs that stick in your head and do you good. And I think that’s enough to seduce Quebecers,” he explains, comparing Waitress to the recent Come From Away phenomenon.
Sara Bareilles involved
Over the summer the show’s cast will expand and we will choose the captain who will lead Waitress to the director. And in this quest, Just for Laughs can count on the help of a valuable ally: Sara Bareilles.
In fact, the author and composer of the titles of the music show will be coming to Montreal several times over the coming months to help create this first French version.
She will be involved in both the translation and the selection of the performers who will breathe new life into the Molière language of the hits “What Baking Can Do” and “She Used to Be Mine”.
“It’s great to be able to work with her. And that Broadway is turning to Quebec talent for the show’s first French-language license,” says Patrick Rozon.
- The musical Waitress will be performed at Espace St-Denis in Montreal from June 22, 2024. Tickets are on sale starting today. The dates of the Quebec performances will be announced at a later date.