Waitress

Waitress at Des Moines Civic Center

Some stories remind you that change is possible even when it feels impossible. Waitress follows Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of changing her life and leaving an unhappy marriage. It's a musical about finding the courage to choose yourself, built around the kind of emotional honesty that makes you feel less alone in your own struggles. Sunday, December 20, 2026, at 6:30 PM, Des Moines Civic Center hosts a story that believes in second chances and the strength it takes to claim them.

Sara Bareilles wrote the music and lyrics with a gift for turning private pain into something achingly beautiful. Her songs capture ambition, heartbreak, resilience and hope without sugarcoating the difficulty of any of it. Jessie Nelson's book grounds the story in reality: messy relationships, impossible choices, and the small acts of bravery that add up to transformation. Theater this honest doesn't pretend life is easy. It just reminds you that you're capable of more than you think.

Bring someone who needs to hear a story about choosing courage over comfort. Bring the friend who has always believed in your potential even when you doubted it. Or come for yourself and spend an evening with a character who refuses to stay stuck. Explore tickets for Waitress at Des Moines Civic Center.