The Australian production of Waitress has cancelled its planned Sydney season, with producers John Frost for Crossroads Live confirming the musical will conclude its run in Melbourne on 19 July.

A brief statement on the Waitress website announced that the Sydney engagement at the Lyric Theatre would no longer proceed.

“Regrettably, the Sydney season of Waitress will not proceed,” the statement said. “Ticketmaster are actively engaging with ticket holders with further information regarding refunds. We understand that this is disappointing news and we sincerely thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.”

The Sydney run had been scheduled to begin on 1 August. The Sydney Lyric Theatre will likely remain dark until the opening of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical in November.

Gabriyel Thomas, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Mackenzie Dunn in Waitress. Photo @ Jeff Busby

The Australian staging of the hit Broadway musical stars Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rob Mills. The production opened in Brisbane earlier this year before transferring to Melbourne. Ticket holders have been advised that they will be contacted directly regarding refund arrangements.

Based on the 2007 film written by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress features music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2016 and has enjoyed multiple international productions.

Limelight reviewer Patricia Maunder described it as “among the more memorable contemporary musicals, mostly because of songs that inspire toe-tapping and heartache.”

The news comes hot on the heels of the cancellation of the Sydney season of Beetlejuice The Musical and the announcement that the Arena di Verona production of Aida would no longer be coming to Adelaide in early 2027.

The cancellations come at a time when The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) is calling for a 40 percent tax offset for eligible live theatre and musical productions to protect the industry against rising production costs and rising reticence among audiences to buy tickets.

Producer Suzanne Jones (Jones Theatrical Group), whose properties include The Book of Mormon, Pretty Woman: The Musical and Mrs. Doubtfire – The Musical, released a statement backing the call.

“Our view is that this is a challenge we should confront head-on by recognising commercial live performance for the major economic industry it already is. The United Kingdom has demonstrated that a live theatre production tax incentive can stimulate private investment, create jobs, encourage more productions and strengthen an entire industry. This is not about subsidising commercial theatre – it is about recognising its economic contribution and creating the conditions for more productions, more employment and greater investment in Australia.”

Australia already provides production incentives for film, television, digital games and post-production, Jones noted. “Commercial live performance deserves to be considered through the same economic lens.”