NEED TO KNOW
- Veteran actor John Waters, 77, has joined the Australian premiere of Waitress: The Musical, playing diner owner Joe alongside Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rob Mills.
- It marks a return to his musical theatre roots, having starred in productions like Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and My Fair Lady.
- Despite the show’s global success, John admits he’d never heard of Waitress until he was offered the role.
- The production runs in Melbourne before heading to Sydney‘s Lyric Theatre in August.
John Waters is quick to divulge that he is a “very happy” man, as he sits down with New Idea.
And the reason for this happiness? His new job!
The actor, 77, has just commenced his run in the Australian premiere of the Broadway hit, Waitress: The Musical, which recently opened in Melbourne.
John stars alongside Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rob Mills as Joe, the owner of the diner that the show takes place in.
It’s a welcome return to his roots for John, who began his career in Australia in musicals.
He was in the original Australian production of Hair, in 1969, after emigrating here from the UK as a Ten Pound Pom.
He subsequently starred in productions of Godspell, My Fair Lady, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Sound of Music.
Yet despite his impressive stage career, and Waitress’ global popularity, John tells us he had never heard of Waitress until he got the call asking if he’d do it!
“I’m not very good at keeping abreast of everything that’s happening in the world of the entertainment industry. This is just one that had slipped by me – although when I heard a couple of the songs I thought, ‘oh yeah, I’ve heard that before,’” John confesses.
Waitress’ score is written by ‘Love Song’ singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles.
“I came to know this great songwriter for the first time. Other people had known Sara for years, I came late to the party – but I’m glad I’m there!” John adds.
“The more I looked at the show and listened to the music, the more I felt this was one of the great medium-scale musicals of recent times.
“Great songs and a really emotional storyline – both are very important in musical theatre.”
For John, one of the best things about working in theatre are the friendships forged.
“Sometimes a rehearsal is the best part of doing a new show, as you learn how you’re going to work together as a team,” he reveals.
“I think that’s why we have such long-standing friendships that come from theatre. You spend a lot of time with each other, but you also spend that time on stage where there’s a danger element anytime you step in front of an audience and you need all your friends to be pulling together.”
Away from the stage, John is a dad to five children, and also a grandad. John’s kids, who range from young adults to in their fifties, have all inherited his love of singing, music and acting in one way or another.
But if John owned a diner in real life, like in Waitress, would he expect his heirs to show an interest in that family business the same way they have the arts?
He concedes, with a grin, that he would leave his diner to them, but then tell them, “Do what you like with it.”
Following its run at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, Waitress will head to Sydney in August, where it will play at the Lyric Theatre.
