The Tony nominated musical “Waitress,” which opens March 26, has cast two young area actresses to take on the role of “Lulu” during the St. Louis engagement.
Penelope Garcia, 5, of St. Louis, and Norah Morley, 5, of St. Louis will alternate the role of “Lulu,” the daughter of the production’s main character, Jenna.
WAITRESS tells the story of “Jenna”, an expert pie baker working at a local diner and stuck in a loveless marriage. Her salvation comes in the form of her daughter, “Lulu.”
Both girls were chosen via an audition process held at The Fabulous Fox Theatre on February 11. Over 40 girls participated in the auditions, which were presided over by members of the WAITRESS company. The character of “Lulu” is cast locally in each tour market and two girls are chosen to share the role. Each five-year-old girl chosen will perform in 8 performances each during the engagement.
Penelope attends Hope Montessori preschool, is involved in gymnastics and has always loved to create and perform by singing, dancing and drawing! She loves playing with her big brother Charlie and little sister Ruby, and taking care of her dog, Piney and pet chickens. Her role in WAITRESS will be her very first experience with acting. Penelope dreams of being a ballerina when she grows up.
Norah is a preschooler at St. Lucas Preschool in Sunset Hills. She loves to draw, dance, sing, and play. She and her two sisters dance at the Charmette Academy of Dance & Acrobatics. She has performed in the Lindbergh All-District Musical for the past two years. Norah said about the audition process, “It was really fun. I tried my hardest and the people I auditioned for were funny and nice.”
Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, WAITRESS is an irresistible new hit featuring original music and lyrics by 6-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles (“Brave,” “Love Song”), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (“I Am Sam”) and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Finding Neverland, Pippin, Hair).
Inspired by Adrienne Shelley’s beloved film, the musical tells the story of Jenna – a waitress and expert pie maker, Jenna dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life.
“It’s an empowering musical of the highest order!” raves the Chicago Tribune. “WAITRESS is a little slice of heaven!” says Entertainment Weekly and “a monumental contribution to Broadway!” according to Marie Claire. Don’t miss this uplifting musical celebrating friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.
Tickets for WAITRESS at the Fabulous Fox are on sale now at MetroTix.com, by calling 314-534-1111 or in person at the Fabulous Fox Box Office. Ticket prices start at $29. Prices are subject to change; please refer to FabulousFox.com for current pricing. WAITRESS is part of the U.S. Bank Broadway series.
Performances of WAITRESS at the Fabulous Fox run March 26-April 7. Show times are Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday afternoons at 2 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 1p.m. There will also be a 6:30 p.m. evening performance on Sunday, March 31 and a matinee performance on Thursday, April 4 at 1 p.m.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.