Marie-Ève Janvier, the Canadian singer from Quebec, has been announced to star as Jenna Hunterson in the 2024 French-language premiere of Waitress the Musical in Canada.

Marie-Ève made her debut in the musical comedy Notre-Dame-de-Paris, by Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante, when she was just 14. In 2007, she released her debut self-titled album, which was a top 5 success, and has since toured and recorded extensively with her husband, Jean-François Breau. In 2014, the couple were nominated for five nominations for at the Gala of ADISQ (Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries) awards, including Best Group of Year, Album of the Year, Album of the Year – Covers, Spectacle Show of the Year and Music TV Show of the Year.

Marie-Ève said: “I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to finally sharing this great news, to finally get back on stage to sing! Being a part of a Broadway hit, in this French World Premiere, as Jenna, fills my heart with pride. Waitress is a musical where humour, authenticity and girl power meet each other.”

Sara Bareilles herself approved the Marie-Ève starring as Jenna in just 48 hours.

“It’s a beautiful mark of trust, but it also adds pressure. And that’s what I’ve been working on since my start, so I’m ready to take up this challenge.”

The show will be directed by Joël Legendre, who said: “I saw the show on Broadway in 2016 and as soon as I left the room, I sent a message to Patrick Rozon, at Juste Pour Rire (Just for Laughs). It was the most beautiful musical I had seen in my whole life, I had to direct it. Sara Bareilles has changed the way we build musicals on Broadway. It is an approach that is simple, true, and authentic. That comes to pick us up, it’s very accessible.”