Talking to JISEL SOLEIL AYON about starring in the national tour of WAITRESS

Jisel Soleil Ayon in the National Tour of Waitress
photo by Jeremy Daniel

by Gil Benbrook

California native Jisel Soleil Ayon has had plenty of experience appearing in many lead and supporting roles, including playing Evita, Wednesday in The Addams Family, and most recently Cosette in Les Misérables and Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at the Hale Center Theatre in Utah.

Ayon makes her national tour debut starring as Jenna in Waitress, which comes to town next week for five performances at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix.  

Waitress tells the story of  Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who pours her heart into her piece and who dreams of a way out of her small town and tumultous marriage. Will a baking contest in a nearby county and an encounter with someone new give Jenna the fresh start she needs to find happiness in her life? 

With a score by Grammy winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, the musical is based upon the 2007 motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, and was the first Broadway musical in history to have four women in the four top creative team spots. In addition to Bareilles, the book is by Jessie Nelson, the original choreography by Lorin Latarroand, and Tony winning Diane Paulus directed the original Broadway production. 

In between performances on the tour, Ayon sat down to answer some questions about the show, her character and what life on the road has been like after COVID shut everything down for over a year.

What can you tell us about your character, Jenna?

Jisel Soleil Ayon: "In a nutshell, Jenna is a woman who has forgotten about her dreams and how to show herself the love she constantly shows others. She is compassionate, patient, and resilient. "

Jenna is a baker of pies, and we see her go through the motions of creating a pie during the show. Did you have any baking experience to draw upon for those moments in the show?

"I had minimal baking experience but definitely no pie baking experience. I know things like putting flour on your hands helps keep the dough from sticking and I’ve rolled out dough before. I honestly didn’t need much more knowledge of 'baking' for the show than that."

This is your national tour debut. What has the experience been like performing in numerous towns compared to your past performance experiences?

"Constantly changing environments, not only cities but also theaters, does add extra challenges to the already difficult task of performing with consistency. Changes in altitude, dryness, air quality, constant travel weariness, stage differences…you start to wish you could perform in one place for a while again. But it is such a unique experience to see cities I’ve never been to before and reach such a wide range of audiences. There’s always a give and take."

You previously appeared in several classic musicals, including just this past spring and summer playing Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls and Cosette in Les Miserables at the Hale Center Theatre in Utah. Is there a difference in playing a role in a new musical, like Waitress, compared to one that was written many years ago?

"Obviously there have been some big changes in the way musicals are written nowadays versus decades ago. Today's shows are written with a little more nuance to the book and lyrics, but I don’t approach the role any different. Each has a story to tell in its own unique way and I’m excited to tell it."

You were set to perform in a couple of shows last year that were canceled due to Covid. What has the experience been like after close to a year off being back performing in front of an audience?

"Words are not quite enough to express the deep gratitude I feel and the true magic that live theater holds. There is nothing else like it, so to have it ripped away from us with no knowledge of when it would come back was devastating. Which makes the return all the more joyous and exciting. Theatre is my home and I am back where I want to be and there is nothing more I can ask. I'm beyond thankful to be able to step out onto a stage almost every night and bring a room together through a living, breathing performance that is one of a kind to that moment in time. It's exhilarating and just where I belong!"

What is your favorite moment in the show and why does it resonate with you?

"It's hard to pick one favorite. I will say that the song 'Soft Place to Land' and the scene right before it have grown and continue to grow so much founder to me as the tour goes on. I keep finding deeper and deeper ways that I connect to them and I look forward to sharing those lovely, heartfelt moments with my costars who are rockstar women."

What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing the tour of Waitress at the Orpheum Theatre?

"This show has so much heart and humanity, and audiences feel that. It's why people continue to come back to this show. People can see a little bit of themselves in each character. Also, two of the central themes of this show are community and friendship. Two things that everyone understands and can really feel when they watch the show.

I want audiences to know that we are so grateful you're coming out to support live theater and share in the one-of-a-kind moments that it creates. We hope you come in with open hearts and leave with them full to the brim, and possibly with a new view on life."

CLICK HERE for more information on the tour of Waitress, playing Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre January 28-30