Actor Connor Lewis on the Hit Broadway Musical ‘Waitress’ Coming to Austin

Before “Waitress” arrives in Austin for its 10th Anniversary National Tour, we caught up with Connor Lewis, who stars as Dr. Pomatter. A 2022 graduate of Texas State University, Lewis is thrilled to be part of the beloved musical. Featuring music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, “Waitress” follows Jenna, a talented pie-maker searching for a fresh start and the courage to create her own recipe for happiness. As part of the Texas Performing Arts presents Broadway in Austin tour, the show comes to Bass Concert Hall for three performances Oct. 21-23.

TRIBEZA: How did your experience studying musical theater at Texas State prepare you for performing in a major national tour, and what lessons from your time there do you still carry with you?

LEWIS: I’ve taken so much away from my time at Texas State. I’m constantly making connections between my acting today and the things I learned when I was 18 from my teachers at the time. Kaitlin Hopkins built the program from a true knowledge of the industry and a deep love for supporting musical theatre artists to find their own voice. It can’t be understated how truly thankful I am to have gotten to be a part of the Texas State program. I also need to give a shout out to Michael and Marqui Maresca and the One Voice method. They taught me a whole new way to look at the voice that I still use every day. Without them I don’t know how I’d be able to consistently perform up to eight shows a week as we cross the country.

“Waitress” explores love, self-discovery and the courage to make difficult life choices. What part of Dr. Pomatter’s journey resonates with you personally, and has your understanding of the character evolved throughout the tour?

I’ve been loving the opportunity to delve into a character who is inherently good but obviously very flawed. So many of the “Waitress” characters share this theme. In the song “She Used to be Mine,” Jenna sings “she’s imperfect but she tries” and that’s really resonated with me and how I’ve interpreted Dr. Pomatter. In this show, just like real life, no person is just one thing. I am not perfect person but I really try to show up to life as truthfully as possible. And It’s really freeing playing a character who is so entirely himself, even if he’s awkward, or ridiculous at times. He’s true.

What is the most challenging or rewarding moment for you to perform each night?

I think that “You Matter to Me” is one of the most perfect love songs in Musical Theater Cannon and it never even mentions the word love. I am so grateful every night to express such a true selfless love for another for human and to have that feeling be reciprocated and be seen as a unique individual worthy of compassion. Plus, that song sits in such a delicate part of my voice and I’ve had to work very hard on developing the right support and breathing to tell the story within the music.

The 10th Anniversary Tour celebrates a decade of this beloved musical. What do you think makes “Waitress” continue to resonate with audiences, and what do you hope people take away from this production?

This show covers so many real life issues that are often not talked about but are still all to prevalent in many people’s lives: money scarcity, abusive marriages, infidelity. But there is this inherent feeling of sisterhood and deep love that you feel throughout, that end up leaving you feel a little stronger and little more hopeful. It’s also just been so gratifying getting to take this show across the country. While we do stop in bigger cities like Austin, Chicago and Los Angeles, we also spend most of the tour in smaller towns. Towns that this story is really for, and I hope that when folks come see the show, they recognize parts of themselves or their neighbors in our production.

What has been the most surprising or memorable part of touring with “Waitress,” and how has traveling from city to city shaped your experience as a performer?

This is my first national tour, and it’s been so exciting exploring a new venue every few days. Every new stage has been incredibly beautiful, and realizing that the theaters will be full of people who are choosing to come see our show is an honor that doesn’t get old. It’s also been really exciting getting to walk around and try out new coffee shops in states I never imagined being in.

A moment I still think about all the time was our very first time walking out for bows. I had dreamed of doing this my whole life and to finally be out here doing it and hear the audience’s appreciation — I can’t even begin to describe how lucky I feel.

You can see “Waitress” on Oct. 21-23 at Bass Concert Hall. Tickets start at $42 and are available at TexasPerformingArts.org and BroadwayinAustin.com, by phone at (512) 471-1444,