After years of traveling the world, pursuing her passion and teaching others, 2015 Columbus High graduate Monica Weber has come almost full-circle back to Nebraska, with a leading role in Omaha Community Playhouse's production of "Waitress." The musical, which opens Jan. 24, details the plight of Weber's character, Jenna, pursuing her dream of owning a pie shop and the obstacles she encounters along the way, including an accidental pregnancy.
2015 Columbus High graduate Monica Weber, center, plays the role of Jenna in the Omaha Community playhouse's upcoming run of "Waitress." from Jan. 24-Feb.
16. "She has this dream, we all have dreams, but her dream is to open her own pie shop, but she's stuck in a rut of a marriage that's not successful or happy or even safe," Weber told The Telegram. "She's living paycheck to paycheck in this small town and ends up pregnant and she's like, 'Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?'" With help and support from coworkers, Jenna finds her fire and relentlessly pursues her dream.
The role is a little different than her previous roles, Weber said. Her previous roles in high school and with the Omaha Community Playhouse — in productions including "Dream Girls," "Beautiful" and "Jersey Boys" — have typically been more humorous and more of a supporting role. "I am usually that big, sappy comedic character that has a big, loud, belty solo and this is a much softer character who is — she's wonderful, you know, I just adore playing her," Weber said.
