Celebrate Katharine McPhee by Revisiting Her Broadway Debut in Waitress

Smash and American Idol star Katharine McPhee celebrates her birthday March 25. In honor of the occasion, Playbill is revisiting the singer’s Broadway debut in Waitress.

McPhee stepped into the role of Jenna at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre April 10, 2018, succeeding ensemble member and Jenna understudy Stephanie Torns, who was filling in after Sara Bareilles’ shift in the diner.

McPhee played her first stint on Broadway through August 19, 2018. She would later return to Brooks Atkinson November 25, 2019, playing Jenna through the conclusion of the productions tenure on January 5, 2020. In addition to her time on the Great White Way, McPhee opened the show’s West End production, playing in London from February 8, 2019 through June 15.