Ephie Aardema News

freeFall opens their 2021/2022 season with the classic musical comedy Dames at Sea directed by Eric Davis, musically directed by Michael Raabe and choreographed by Kristie Kerwin (Broadway's Dames at Sea 2015).

The Jeff Awards has announced the nominees for the 52nd annual awards for theater excellence that include 142 theater artists across 30 artistic and technical categories. The awards will be presented in an online program on Monday, November 9, 2020 at 7:00PM.

Maggie Stiggers & Spiro Marcos, executive producers and co-founders of NikoFrank Productions will co-host The Cool Kids Table podcast at Radio Free Brooklyn. The podcast, in it's second season, was designed to celebrate kindness in the entertainment business. Each week they welcome a guest from the biz to talk openly about their personal journey to finding success, happiness, and the importance of being kind.

Following a sold-out concert in 2017, stars from Broadway and the National Tours of WAITRESS came together to perform WAITRESS SINGS BAREILLES: VOL. 2 at The Green Room 42, in a concert benefitting The Hysterical Womxn's Society.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces the cast and creative team for the Theater's highly anticipated production of Emma-a musical adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved novel, with book, music, and lyrics by Tony Award-nominated composer Paul Gordon, whose world premiere production of Sense and Sensibility captivated Chicago Shakespeare audiences in 2015.

Following a sold-out concert in 2017, stars from Broadway and the National Tours of WAITRESS are coming together to perform WAITRESS SINGS BAREILLES: VOL. 2 at The Green Room 42 on Wednesday December 18, 2019 both at 7:00pm and 9:30pm. The evening's concerts will benefit The Hysterical Womxn's Society.

The Olivier Award-winning, international sensation SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW returns to Broadway for a limited holiday engagement at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 W 43rd St., NYC) through January 5, 2020.

We're taking a look at the world inside a frame to celebrate World Photo Day with a look back at the Tony-winning musical The Bridges of Madison County, which focused on Francesca Johnson's relationship with a National Geographic photographer when he arrives in Iowa. Get a peek inside the show's Broadway rehearsals as stars Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale perform the show's song 'One Second and a Million Miles' with the video below!

This weekend at the Schuster Center, don't miss your chance to see the funny and heartwarming hit Broadway musical WAITRESS

You don't have to be a talented baker (and I certainly am not) to appreciate a show that uses pie as a metaphor for life. Its variety, its many surprises, how with one wrong measurement or ingredient everything can go terribly wrong.

The sweet Broadway hit musical, Waitress will be openin' up at the Schuster Center June 25 - June 30.

When the movie Waitress premiered in 2007, it was roundly praised, but didn't make too big of a splash, so it seems like an odd choice of source material to turn into a Broadway musical.  It turns out, that this story works incredibly well in this format, and delivers a musical with great songs, and a unique, quirky spirit that is infectious. There's also the added bonus of the smell of pie wafting through the lobby and theatre. This is the first "smell-o-vision" show I've been to, and the yummy smell of cinnamon and pie crust makes this show a feast for all senses.

Sugar, Butter, Tour! The national tour of Waitress is sprinkling sugar across America. Check out what the critics are saying in each tour stop in the reviews below.

The National Tour of Waitress, running now through May 19th at the Fisher Theatre, is a spectacular production all-around. Waitress tells the story of Jenna - a waitress and expert pie maker in a small southern town. She dreams of a way out of this small town and away from her broken marriage and abusive husband. Through the thought of winning a local pie baking contest and forming a brand-new life, Jenna longs to make her dreams a reality. In order to do so, Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life. With original music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, this show is sure to leave you singing in your seat.

Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team that features original music from six-time Grammy nominee, Sara Bareilles, Waitress is playing until May 19th at the Fisher Theatre. Jenna is an expert pie maker and as the title suggests, a waitress, who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest could be chance at a new start along with possibly the town's new doctor, but Jenna has to find to find the courage and strength to try. 'We have pie! There's pie in the lobby,' answered Ephie Aardema, who plays Jenna's friend and fellow waitress in the show, when asked about why Detroit audiences should see the show. 'It also has a lot of heart - more than most musicals.' See what else Ephie had to say about Waitress, tour life, and more below:

Waitress, is in Grand Rapids playing at DeVos Hall through Sunday March, 5th.  It is brought to life by a groundbreaking, all female creative team, this Tony Award-nominated hit features original music and lyrics by 7-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles ("Love Song" and "Brave"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland_

The diner recently Welcomed Jeremy Woodard to the role of 'Earl' in the National Touring Production of Waitress! Waitress is the hit Broadway musical from Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles inspired by Adrienne Shelly's 2007 motion picture.

At first glance, WAITRESS has a deceptively simple surface plot. Woman in a bad marriage hangs with gal pals encouraging her to do better for herself. That may be the bare bits of this musical, but its complexities and melodies are as enticing as one of Jenna's famous pies.

The national tour of Waitress, which is running in Tulsa through this weekend at the PAC, is powered by a vibrant female energy, but it is also packed with moments of joy and humor for pie-lovers of all genders. Waitress combines a refreshingly contemporary but accessible score with classic musical theatre influences, both in terms of sound and storytelling. Just as a pie doesn't need to be perfect to be well-worth savoring to the last bite, Waitress is a beautifully imperfect treat, full of sweetness and a cast that you absolutely don't want to miss while they're in town.

"Sugar. Butter. Flour" Waitress! Waitress has arrived at the Times Union and is blowing audiences away. The musical, based on Adrienne Shelley's movie of the same name, follows Jenna, a waitress at a small diner who is stuck in a loveless marriage. Jenna finds herself pregnant and is convinced it is time to chase her own dreams and build a better life for her and her unborn child. First, she must save enough money waitressing at the diner. Jenna meets her doctor, Dr. Pomatter, and things become very complicated. Waitress is filled with laughter, emotion, heartbreak, and pies!