Sara Bareilles To Make Broadway Acting Debut In 'Waitress'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Sara Bareilles' songwriting skills are all over the new Broadway musical "Waitress'' -- and soon she will be, too.

The singer-songwriter of "Brave'' and "Love Song'' will make her Broadway acting debut on March 31 in the lead role of Jenna Hunterson. She'll be in the show for 10 weeks until June 11.

"Waitress has turned out to be one of the great, true loves of my life, and they simply can't get rid of me," Bareilles said in a statement. "This show changed my life in so many ways, and I feel great privilege in joining our beloved cast and crew who make me laugh and cry every time I watch the show. All I want is to keep sharing the love, and dear God please let me remember my lines."

The musical tells the story of a waitress and pie maker trapped in a small-town diner and a loveless marriage. It's adapted from a 2007 film starring Keri Russell.

Bareilles will take over from Jessie Mueller, who won the best leading actress Tony Award for playing Carole King in the musical "Beautiful.''

"I consider it an incredible honor to follow the masterful work of Jessie Mueller as she so gracefully brought the character of Jenna to life, and I am thrilled to continue to tell this story that has so much heart," Bareilles said.

Bareilles has already released her versions of the musical's songs in "What's Inside: Songs From Waitress,'' including the standout single "She Used to Be Mine.''

She joins other composers who have gone into their own Broadway shows, including Sting in "The Last Ship'' and Green Day's frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, who made several onstage visits to his show "American Idiot.''

For "Waitress," Bareilles has received a Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics, an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Score, and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)