By Joanne Von Furstenburg | Posted on April 20, 2018 9:24 AM
Smash star Katharine McPhee steps into the lead part in Waitress, previously held by Jessie Mueller, Betsy Wolfe, and the show’s composer, Sara Bareilles.
“Waitress” On a Roll with a String of Great Actresses

“Smash” Star Makes Broadway Debut in Musical

On April 10, 2018, Katharine McPhee stepped into the lead part of Jenna, in which she is scheduled to continue until June 17, 2018. Despite the fact that McPhee is well-known for the Broadway-themed television show Smash, this marks her Broadway debut. On NBC’s Smash, McPhee played Karen Cartwright, a budding actress from Iowa who was vying for the role of Marilyn Monroe in the fictional musical Bombshell, which, in the show, held an open call to find its leading lady. In the second season, McPhee’s character then starred in a more experimental musical called Hit List, earning a (fictional) Tony nomination. Unfortuntely for McPhee, though this is her Broadway debut, she will not be eligible for the real Tony Awards, as she is a replacement. However, it is only time before McPhee will likely perform in the original cast of a show on Broadway, but for now, she is stepping into a part previously held by other great actresses. While this is her Broadway debut in a real show, McPhee did perform a handful of songs from the Smash musical Bombshell in a one-night-only concert event in 2015 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.
Prior to Smash, McPhee was a runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol in 2006. While she did not win that singing competition, it did launch her career. The following year, she released a self-titled album with RCA Records, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 list. Her top single from that album, “Over It,” was certified gold in 2008. She released her second album, “Unbroken,” in 2010, which included the single “Had It All,” and later that year, she released a Christmas album entitled “Christmas Is The Time to Say I Love You.” Her fourth album, “Hysteria,” was released in 2015, and her fifth album, “I Fall in Love Too Easily” was released in 2017. Beyond Smash, her acting credits include the films The Lost Wife of Robert Durst, In My Dreams, Shark Night 3D, You May Not Kiss the Bride, and The House Bunny, as well as several guest appearances on television shows such as Family Guy, Lip Sync Battle, and Ugly Betty.