Sara Bareilles, all-female creative team bring 'Waitress' to Broadway

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The spring season on Broadway is a time when a new show begins previews just about every week in hopes of qualifying for the Tony Awards.

This year, a new musical based on the film "Waitress" is notable in several different ways. It is the story of a young woman stuck in a loveless marriage who finds solace in baking and the magic of a well-made pie, and it stars Tony winner Jessie Mueller, who was "Beautiful" on Broadway starring as the title role of Carole King.

But the show also represents a milestone in the career of a famous singer/songwriter.

As a child, Sara Bareilles dreamed of starring in a Broadway musical, but her career took a left turn to the top of the record charts.

So it's only fitting her latest hit comes from "Waitress," for which she wrote the music and lyrics.

"This is a childhood dream that's coming true in a way I didn't really expect," she said.

And the source of the show adds an extra layer of poignancy to the rehearsals.

"I have just fallen so deeply in love with this piece," she said. "With the world that Adrienne Shelly created in her film."

By the time "Waitress" was released a decade ago, director and co-star Shelley was dead, murdered in Manhattan. So staying true to the original vision is a priority now.

Hearing another performer, even one as talented as Mueller, sing Bareilles' deeply-personal tunes took some adjustment for an artist known and celebrated as a solo act.

"Collaborations never come easily to me," she said. "I'm a control freak. I'm very opinionated. I'm very stubborn, and I'm incredibly sensitive."

But Bareillis has found satisfaction comes in direct proportion to the degree of difficulty.

"I have loved it so much, because I am doing something that doesn't come naturally for me."

And that is why seeing her name on the marquee for the first time was such a milestone moment.

"That's my show, ok?" she said. "That's my show."

"Waitress" also belongs director, choreographer and dramatist -- all of them female, which is believed to be the first time the traditional four-person Broadway creative team is made up entirely of women