Sara Bareilles | |
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 Bareilles in 2025 | |
| Born | Sara Beth Bareilles (1979-12-07)December 7, 1979 (age 45) Eureka, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
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| Labels | Epic |
| Website | sarabmusic |
Musical artist | |
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Sara Beth Bareilles[1] (/bəˈrɛlɪs/bə-REL-iss; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including twoGrammy Awards, as well as nominations for fourPrimetime Emmy Awards and threeTony Awards. In 2012,VH1 named her one of the Top 100 Greatest Women in Music.[2]
After signing withEpic Records, Bareilles rose to prominence with the release of her second studio album andmajor label debut,Little Voice (2007). Its lead single, "Love Song", peaked at number four on theBillboard Hot 100 and earned nominations forSong of the Year andBest Female Pop Vocal Performance at the51st Annual Grammy Awards.[3]
Bareilles made herBroadway debut when she composed music and wrote lyrics for the 2015 musicalWaitress, for which she earned nominations for theTony Award for Best Original Score and theGrammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. She subsequently receivedOlivier Award nominations for its 2019West End transfer production. Her fifth studio album,What's Inside: Songs from Waitress (2015), includes several of the musical's songs, as well as some that were not included in the show. She has since worked on other Broadway productions, including the 2016 musicalSpongeBob SquarePants and a revival ofStephen Sondheim'sInto the Woods, both of which earned her Tony nominations.
Bareilles is also known for her work in television. In 2018, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal ofMary Magdalene in theNBC musical television specialJesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, for which she was nominated for anEmmy. She played the lead role of Dawn Solano inPeacock andNetflix's musical comedyGirls5eva (2021–2024).[4][5][6]
Bareilles was born on December 7, 1979, inEureka, California.[7] Her father, Paul Bareilles, is aninsurance adjuster, and her mother, Bonnie Jean (née Capellas), is a funeral home worker.[1][8] Bareilles is the youngest of three daughters; she also has a younger half-sister.[9] Bonnie has Portuguese ancestry through her father[10][11] and maternal grandmother[12] and German ancestry through a maternal great-great-grandfather.[13][14] Paul hasSwiss-Italian ancestry through his mother,[15] Italian ancestry through his paternal grandmother, and French ancestry through his paternal grandfather.[16][17] Bareilles speaks some Italian and lived inBologna for a year during college. Bonnie and Paul divorced when Bareilles was 12 years old,[18] and the former later married Ron Halvorsen.[19]
Bareilles was raised Catholic and attendedparochial school untiljunior high, when she transferred to public school. Bareilles still attendsMass with her family when she visits Eureka.[18][20] Bareilles participated in the high school choir, Limited Edition, and local community theater musical productions, including her high school's production ofLittle Shop of Horrors, in which she appeared as Audrey.[21]
After graduating fromEureka High School in 1998,[22] Bareilles studied communication studies at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),[7] where she was a member of the co-eda cappella group Awaken a Cappella;[23] she can be heard on their albumDysfunktional Family, singing her original selection "Gravity" and "I Want You Back" bythe Jackson 5.[24] The group's rendition of "Gravity" was featured on theBest of College a Cappella 2004 compilation CD. Bareilles and thepop rock bandMaroon 5 have been acquainted since their college days at UCLA, when the latter was known asKara's Flowers.[25][26] Bareilles performed in the annual student concertUCLA Spring Sing, winning twice. She taught herself to play multiple instruments, including the piano.[27]
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After graduating from UCLA in 2002, Bareilles performed at local bars and clubs (such as theHotel Café andGenghis Cohen in Los Angeles), building a following before performing in larger venues. She released two demos of mostly live tracks in 2003:The First One in April andThe Summer Sessions in October.
In January 2004, Bareilles self-published her first studio album,Careful Confessions. In mid-2004, she opened forRocco DeLuca and the Burden during their inaugural headline tour, supportedGuster on their first UK tour and co-headlined a tour withJon McLaughlin.[28] Also in 2004, she appeared as a singer in a bar in the award-winning indie filmGirl Play, performing the song "Undertow" and her songs "Gravity" and "Fairy Tale" also appeared in the film.[21]
She signed a contract withEpic Records on April 15, 2005[29] and spent the rest of the year and the early months of 2006 writing, composing and reworking songs for her upcoming album.[7]
She was the opening act in 2006 for Marc Broussard's "Carencro" tour. Her song "Gravity" appeared briefly in the 2006 independent filmLoving Annabelle.
In 2007, Bareilles toured as the opening act forAqualung andMika and later that year opened for several shows on both Maroon 5 andPaolo Nutini's U.S. tours. She opened forJames Blunt on his U.S. tour in association withVH1 You Oughta Know.
In June 2007,iTunes featured Bareilles's single "Love Song" as the free single of the week.[30] The song documents her frustration with the pressures of meeting the demands of Epic Records in creating her first album, though there was no specific request to write a "love song".[18] In fact, the bulk of the songs on her major label debut --Little Voice—were improved versions of songs from Careful Confessions.
In July 2007 Little Voice shot to No. 1 on the list of most downloaded albums of the music store[31] in its first week of release, and debuted at No. 45 on theBillboard 200 chart. After being featured on aRhapsody commercial in 2007, "Love Song" began climbing the pop charts, jumping from No. 73 to No. 16 in one week. It entered the top 10 on theBillboard Hot 100 on December 27, 2007, and peaked at No. 4. On other charts, such as the Pop 100 andHot AC, "Love Song" hit No. 1. Bareilles performed the song onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday, January 17, 2008, and ontheToday show on Thursday, February 21, 2008. Soon after that, the song entered theUK singles chart, peaking at No. 4. The music video was directed by Josh Forbes, and it starred the British actorAdam Campbell.
As of 2010,Little Voice had been certified platinum by theRIAA. The album peaked in theBillboard 200 at No. 7, and the UK Top 40 at No. 9.[32] Its breakthrough single, "Love Song", was later certified triple platinum.[33]
On October 28, 2008, Bareilles releasedBetween the Lines: Sara Bareilles Live at the Fillmore on DVD and CD. The package is a recording of her first headlining tour atThe Fillmore in San Francisco. This package also included live recordings of her unreleased song "August Moon", as well as a cover ofOtis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". She concluded the tour in her home town of Eureka, California, on December 19, 2008, at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts.
She toured withCounting Crows and Maroon 5 between July 25 and August 26, 2008. The first stop wasVirginia Beach, Virginia, and the last stopCuyahoga Falls, Ohio.[34] Bareilles was selected as MTV artist of the week for July 7–11 and appeared again onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday, July 9, 2008; and on December 9, 2008 (withIngrid Michaelson).
During the spring of 2009, Bareilles was on her second headlining tour, the Gravity Tour, to promote "Gravity", the third and final single from her albumLittle Voice. She made her third appearance inCharlottesville, Virginia, during theUniversity of Virginia's annual Springfest on March 28, her first as the opener for Marc Broussard in 2005 and the second being an opening act for Maroon 5. Bareilles also played multiple college shows in April and May. Some were for college students only and others were open to the public.
She sent out a special holiday message to fans on her mailing list and gave out a free live acoustic EP recorded during her Gravity Tour. The EP contained seven acoustic songs, including a new song "Free Ride", "I'm on Fire" (aBruce Springsteen cover duet withTony Lucca), and two speaking segments.
In early 2010, Bareilles recorded video of what she called "An Ode toJersey Shore" and posted it to her official website as a gag for fans.[35]
Exhausted by her rise to stardom and daunted at the prospect of writing another major hit—as documented in her song "Uncharted"—Bareilles experienced a period ofwriter's block,[36] where she came to fear she would never write another song. She began work on the follow-up to her major label debut in the summer of 2009, collaborating with the likes ofAhmir "Questlove" Thompson, members ofWeezer, andPharrell Williams. As new songs began to take shape,Neal Avron was assigned to produce, record, and mix the entire album. TitledKaleidoscope Heart, the album was recorded atThe Village Recorder andSunset Sound in Los Angeles.
The first single fromKaleidoscope Heart, "King of Anything", began receiving radio airplay in the United States in May 2010,[37] and was released for sale in June.[38] "King of Anything" had its first play on British radio airwaves on Paul Kay'sAlbum Download show on Mid-Wales commercial radio stationRadio Maldwyn – The Magic 756 in August 2010. "King of Anything" was later certified platinum by theRIAA.
In anticipation of the new album, Bareilles released a series of webisodes, featuring the making of select songs fromKaleidoscope Heart, including "King of Anything", "Uncharted", "Gonna Get Over You", "Bluebird", and a strings-only version of "King of Anything". The first webisode also contains Bareilles writing the chorus/refrain lyrics for "Hold My Heart". She was selected as VH1's Posted Artist of the Month for July 2010,[39] chronicling her life leading up to the album's release.
Kaleidoscope Heart was released on September 7, 2010, and debuted at number 1 in the United States, selling 90,000 copies.[40] Her previous album,Little Voice, re-entered the charts at number 200 in the same week, bookending the charts.[41]
Bareilles toured in support ofKaleidoscope Heart from September to December 2010, with most of the shows being sold out. Bareilles toured Europe and parts of Asia and Australia with Maroon 5 throughout spring 2011. She embarked on a small headline tour in April 2011 with openersElizabeth & the Catapult andXimena Sariñana in support of the second single fromKaleidoscope Heart, "Uncharted", which concluded April 23, 2011, in Memphis, Tennessee. She also opened select shows for the country music duoSugarland on their Summer 2011 Incredible Machine Tour. The third and final single released fromKaleidoscope Heart is "Gonna Get Over You", with a music video directed byJonah Hill.
Bareilles was added in the third season of the NBC television seriesThe Sing-Off as a celebrity judge following the departure ofNicole Scherzinger, alongsideBen Folds and Shawn Stockman ofBoyz II Men. Bareilles also guest-starred onBucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures.
On August 13, 2011, the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage at theIndiana State Faircollapsed right after Bareilles finished performing as the opening act for Sugarland. She was uninjured, tweeting, "I'm speechless and feel so helpless; my heart aches for the lives lost." Seven people were killed, and more than 45 injured, in the collapse.[42]
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Soon after joiningThe Sing-Off, Bareilles announced she was in the process of recording a new EP, with co-star Ben Folds producing it. She also collaborated with fellow singer songwritersGreg Laswell andJon McLaughlin on their new singles in February. In March, she was slated to releaseA Trace of Sun, a documentary of the time she had spent volunteering in Japan after the2011 Tohoku earthquake. Her EP,Once Upon Another Time, was released on May 22 and contained 5 new recordings. The first and only single from the EP, "Stay", was released on April 21, 2012, on 7" vinyl, exclusive toRecord Store Day participants with a vinyl-only B-side, "Beautiful Girl".
During herStageit show on September 10, 2012, Bareilles stated that she was working on a new record in New York. She also premiered a new song which might be appearing on the new album in question, which was titled "Only Shadows". In January 2013, she revealed the plans for what was to come later in the year. After moving to New York, Bareilles finished her record, and released the lead single from that album "soon" thereafter.[43] In January, Bareilles was a featured artist of the a cappella groupStraight No Chaser on theJackson 5 song, "I Want You Back" which premiered onBillboard.[44]
In February 2013, Bareilles began teasing her fans to her upcoming album through her Twitter and YouTube accounts. The first tease was a video she released on her website, titled "Sara is Making a Record...".[45]
On March 27, 2013, Bareilles announced that she would conduct an 18-city tour to promote the new album. The first single, "Brave", was released digitally on April 23.[46] On April 17, 2013, Bareilles released a lyric video for her single "Brave" on YouTube.[47] The album she had been teasing, finally titledThe Blessed Unrest, was eventually released on July 16, 2013.[48][49]
Bareilles performed two songs for the feature filmBounty Killer, which was released in September 2013. The first, titled "The Kill", was written and composed by Will Collyer andSujata Day. The second, titled "Gonna Getcha", was written and composed by Will Collyer and the film's director, Henry Saine.
Her live album,Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse, was released on October 22, 2013. The concert was recorded at theVariety Playhouse inAtlanta, Georgia.[50]
In October 2013, two nurses fromUniversity of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital Brittany Bloemke and Natalie Snyder, along with former patient Sarah Ewald, produced aYouTube video containing coworkers and young cancer patients dancing and singing to Bareilles's song "Brave". As of August 2019, it had over 1.6 million views.[51] On October 31, 2013, while the trio were being interviewed by hostNischelle Turner on theHLN showShowbiz Tonight, Bareilles surprised them bySkyping into the interview. Of the video, she said: "I was sent this video by a friend of a friend who lives in Minnesota, and I watched it late at night and immediately my eyes welled up with tears. It's moments like this that remind me of the importance of music, and I can't think of a more perfect incarnation of this song. It's exactly the kind of thing that gives the life to this song that we were hoping for."[52] On October 16, 2019, she visited the hospital before her show at the Xcel Energy Center to sing the song with them live.[53]
On January 26, 2014, Bareilles performed a duet withCarole King at the56th Annual Grammy Awards. The pair performed renditions of King's "Beautiful" and Bareilles's "Brave".[54]
On April 28, 2014, Bareilles performed withElton John atThe Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Annual Hot Pink Party Fundraiser.[55][56] In May, Bareilles recorded a cover ofJackie Wilson's song "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" for theOprah Winfrey Network.[57]
Bareilles toured 24 American cities between July 10, 2014, and August 14, 2014, in her The Little Black Dress Summer Tour. The tour supported her albumThe Blessed Unrest, and it featured opening performances by at least three "special guests": American singerEmily King, indie pop bandLucius, and Canadian singerHannah Georgas.
Bareilles sang "Smile" during the In Memoriam" segment of the66th Primetime Emmy Awards show on August 25, 2014.[58]
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In June 2013, it was reported that Bareilles was to scoreWaitress, a musical adaptation ofthe 2007 film of the same title.[59] The musical opened on August 20, 2015, produced by theAmerican Repertory Theater.[60][61] The production was directed byDiane Paulus, and it starredJessie Mueller in the leading role.[62] Bareilles debuted a song from the musical, "She Used to Be Mine", during some shows on her Little Black Dress Tour.[63] On July 16, 2019, it was announced thatWaitress would end its run on Broadway on January 5, 2020.[64][65]
On October 25, 2012,Simon & Schuster announced it would publish a memoir written by Bareilles,[66] containing essays and photos.[67] The book was tentatively set for release in 2014; however, Bareilles finished it in March 2015.[68] The title,Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song, was announced in April 2015.[69] The book was released on October 6, 2015.[18] On October 25, 2015, it ranked 13th inThe New York Times Best Seller list's hardcover nonfiction category.[70]
Bareilles began work on her fifth studio album,What's Inside: Songs from Waitress,[71] in April 2015 at New York City'sElectric Lady Studios, in collaboration with producerNeal Avron, who had previously worked with Bareilles onKaleidoscope Heart.[72][73] In June 2015, Bareilles confirmed during a Google Hangouts Q & A session that the album would feature songs she had written and composed forWaitress, which would be reworked "to sound like Sara Bareilles songs." On June 27, 2015, Bareilles and Nadia DiGiallonardo performed "She Used to Be Mine", the album'slead single, withRich Dworsky and The Berkshire Boys on humoristGarrison Keillor's National Public Radio showA Prairie Home Companion.[74] The album was released on November 6, 2015, throughEpic Records.
In June 2016, Bareilles performed the part of Ariel in a two-night live presentation of Disney'sThe Little Mermaid at theHollywood Bowl.[75] She performed theJoni Mitchell song "Both Sides, Now" during theIn Memoriam homage at the89th Academy Awards in February 2017.
On March 31, 2017, Bareilles took to the Broadway stage in the role of Jenna Hunterson inWaitress for a 10-week engagement.[76] She would return to the role in January 2018 for a six-week run, including two weeks co-starring with friend and fellow musicianJason Mraz as Dr. Pomatter.[77] Mraz had previously duetted with Bareilles on two songs featuring the Pomatter part on theWhat's Inside album. She returned to the role again in January 2019, for a four-week run oppositeGavin Creel as Dr. Pomatter.[78]
Bareilles also co-wrote the original song "If I Dare" withNicholas Britell and performed it for the 2017 movieBattle of the Sexes.[79]
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On April 1, 2018, Bareilles portrayedMary Magdalene inJesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,NBC's stripped-down "concert" adaptation ofAndrew Lloyd Webber andTim Rice's first full stage musical.[80] Bareilles was well received in the role by fans and critics and was nominated for the 2018Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.[81] and the 2019Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
On June 10, 2018, Bareilles hosted the72nd Tony Awards withJosh Groban. She and Groban performed the opening number to the show, "This One's for You", which was an ode to those who would not win an award that night and referencing that neither had won a major award before, particularly noting theGrammy Awards. They also performed three other numbers, a medley tribute toChita Rivera and Andrew Lloyd Webber, "8 Times a Week" (a parody of "Chandelier" bySia), and "This One's for the Dreamers"). Bareilles was one of the composers who were nominated for the 2018Tony Award for Best Original Score forSpongeBob SquarePants. She was nominated for twoPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Variety Special andOutstanding Original Music and Lyrics for her work at the 72nd Tony Awards.[82]
In August 2018, it was announced thatWaitress would premiere at theAdelphi Theatre inLondon'sWest End in February 2019.[83]
In early 2017, Bareilles announced that she was working on a new album to be released by the end of 2018.[84][85][86] The new album's first single, "Armor", was released on October 26, 2018.[87][88] The same day, pre-orders for the new album were made available through thePledgeMusicdirect-to-fan platform with an updated release target of Spring 2019.[89] On February 13, 2019, Bareilles announced the title of her sixth album would beAmidst the Chaos. On April 6, 2019, the album debuted at number six on theBillboard 200 with 35,000equivalent album sales, of which 29,000 were pure sales.[90] She also released "Shiny", a song about "wanting moms to see how special they really are," on May 10, 2019, to coincide with Mother's Day.[91]
On January 27, 2020, Bareilles made herWest End debut, as Jenna Hunterson inWaitress at theAdelphi Theatre, oppositeGavin Creel as Dr. Pomatter.[92] Bareilles was set to have a limited eight-week run to end on March 21, but performed her last show on March 14 and returned to the United States due to international travel restrictions related to thecoronavirus outbreak.[93] Bareilles also won theGrammy Award for Best American Roots Performance for the song "Saint Honesty" from her albumAmidst the Chaos on January 27, 2020.[94]
On March 25, 2019, Bareilles appeared on stage at anApple event to announce that she, along withJ. J. Abrams andWaitress collaboratorJessie Nelson, had developed a series forApple TV+ entitledLittle Voice, for which she had also recorded the theme song.[95] Bareilles and Nelson collaborated on music for the series, which premiered on Apple TV+ on July 10, 2020.[96] On September 4, 2020, Bareilles released an album titledMore Love: Songs from Little Voice Season One with her own recordings of songs from the series.[97]
On August 10, 2020, Bareilles was announced to star inPeacock's new musical comedyGirls5eva, created by Meredith Scardino and executive produced byTina Fey andRobert Carlock.[98] On May 6, 2021, all eight episodes of the first season ofGirls5eva were released on Peacock.[4]
On May 5, 2021, it was announced that Bareilles would reprise her role as Jenna in a limited revival production ofWaitress following the reopening of Broadway theatres.[99] The show opened at theEthel Barrymore Theatre on September 2, 2021, with Bareilles playing the role through October 17.[100]Amidst the Chaos: Live from the Hollywood Bowl was released in 2021.
In May 2022, Bareilles starred as the Baker's Wife in theEncores! production ofInto the Woods at theNew York City Center.[101] She reprised the role in a Broadway revival at theSt. James Theatre through September 4, 2022. She starred opposite Gavin Creel,Brian d'Arcy James,Joshua Henry,Phillipa Soo,Patina Miller, andCheyenne Jackson.[102][103] She received aTony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination for the production.
In May 2023, to commemorate the centennial anniversary ofThe Walt Disney Company, Bareilles recorded a cover of "When You Wish Upon a Star" as part of the company's "100 Years of Wonder" campaign and was released as a single on May 14, 2023, after being performed live as part of Disney Night onseason 21 ofAmerican Idol.[104]
For the third season ofHulu seriesOnly Murders in the Building, she co-wrote the song "Look for the Light" withBenj Pasek andJustin Paul which was performed byMeryl Streep andAshley Park.[105]
In late 2023,Bleecker Street, working withFathom Events, released a live recorded version ofWaitress: The Musical. Bareilles was a producer on the film which features her performance in the lead role of Jenna.[106] In the first weekend, the movie made the top 10 of the box office. Even though the movie was only shown on 1,214 screens in the US and Canada, the movie made an estimated $3.2 million.[107] The movie is now for sale on multiple streaming services, and on DVD and Blu-Ray.[108][109]
On October 27, 2023, it was announced thatGirls5eva, was renewed for a third season by Netflix.[5][6]
InSounds Like Me, Bareilles tells of the conflicting feedback she received on her way to winning a recording contract. Some prospective labels gave her the feedback that her voice was great, but she needed better songs; others told her that the songs were great, but her singing wasn't up to par.[18] This experience was portrayed in the seriesLittle Voice.
Bareilles is known for her strongmezzo-soprano vocal range.[110] She is often compared to artists such asRegina Spektor,Fiona Apple andBilly Joel,[111] due to her vocal ability and incorporation of piano into her music.
She has described her sound as "piano-based pop soul",[112] with Bareilles finding inspiration from singers such asEtta James andSam Cooke.[113]
In an interview forThe Huffington Post, Bareilles explained that writing and releasing one of her earliest singles, "Love Song", posed as a defining moment for her music career, since she was "fighting for the essence of some truth inside [of her], which to [her was] a beautiful love song."[114]
She is often praised for her songwriting abilities, with critics stating she "conveys vulnerability and wisdom in lyrics that speak honestly about relationships from a woman's point of view", and that her "writing voice is uniquely her own".[111]
Bareilles's first band consisted of these members aside from Bareilles herself:
Other musicians who have toured with her as part of her band include Eric Robinson (guitar and keys),[117] Holly Conlan (backing vocals), Steve Goold (drums, percussion) and Philip Krohnengold (guitar and keyboards).[118]
In 2013, Bareilles parted amicably with her longtime bandmates to "move in a new direction".[119] She subsequently embarked on a short solo tour namedBrave Enough, before forming a new band in anticipation of her fall co-headlining tour withOneRepublic.[120] The new band consists of these personnel aside from Bareilles herself:
In December 2008, a single Bareilles had performed in collaboration with Ingrid Michaelson, titled "Winter Song", was released from the compilationThe Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs. Bareilles and Michaelson performed it onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and an animated video was released. In December 2011, "Winter Song" reached number 2 on theIrish Singles Chart.[122] She also recorded the song "Come Home", a duet withOneRepublic, which was released on iTunes on July 14, 2009.
Bareilles was one of many singers to appear in the season 3 finale of30 Rock, includingMary J. Blige,Rachael Yamagata,Sheryl Crow,Norah Jones, andElvis Costello. The episode was a parody of "We Are The World"-style rockstar fundraisers, with the group recording an impassioned plea for a kidney donation, specifically to help selfish character Jack Donaghy's newly discovered genetic father, played by Alan Alda.
Bareilles appeared withWeezer onJimmy Kimmel Live and as an AOL Sessions guest, performing "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", as well for a special performance on YouTube.
She has performed for theFirst Family numerous times:
In 2011, as Maroon 5 was touring in promotion for theirHands All Over album, Bareilles contributed to the female vocals (originally belonging toLady Antebellum) for the song "Out of Goodbyes".[citation needed]
She appeared with the band Sugarland for a cover ofDexys (Midnight Runners)'s "Come on Eileen" in a YouTube exclusive.[125]
In December 2010, Bareilles appeared on the second-season finale ofThe Sing-Off to sing "King of Anything" with The Backbeats. She joinedThe Sing-Off as a judge inits third season alongside musiciansBen Folds andShawn Stockman (ofBoyz II Men). She and Folds sang theFrank Loesser classic "Baby, It's Cold Outside" on a Christmas-themed episode of the show in December 2011. Folds later produced, played on, and provided backing vocals on Bareilles's 2012 EPOnce Upon Another Time. He provided the foreword toSounds Like Me.
She performed the duet "Love Won't Let You Get Away" withSeth MacFarlane on his debut studio album,Music Is Better Than Words, and reunited to perform the song with him atClub Nokia on March 26, 2011.
Bareilles was featured on the track titled "Mango Tree", from the Zac Brown Band album titledJekyll + Hyde, which was released on April 28, 2015. The song title was originally released under the title "Christmas Tree".
Bareilles was featured on "Summer is Over", the first single fromJon McLaughlin's third studio album,Promising Promises, a re-issue of his self-released albumForever If Ever. McLaughlin released the selection in January 2012.
MacFarlane'sChristmas albumHoliday for Swing, released on September 30, 2014, would also feature Bareilles.[126] She joined him on another rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". The album, which also featured collaborations withNorah Jones andFrank Sinatra's bassist Chuck Berghoffer as well as a 65-piece orchestra, was recorded atAbbey Road Studios in London.[127]
Bareilles collaborated with Folds again in January 2018 atThe Kennedy Center for his DECLASSIFIED: Ben Folds Presents concert series with theNational Symphony Orchestra. Joined by violinist, singer, andPulitzer Prize-winning composerCaroline Shaw, the orchestra performed classical music, modern compositions by Shaw, and five of Bareilles's songs, including "She Used to Be Mine" fromWaitress. Shaw and Dominic Mekky would arrange the orchestral parts for a performance of "Love Song". Shaw and Folds joined the orchestra, on vocals and percussion respectively, to back Bareilles on "Brave". She, Folds, and Shaw harmonized together on "Once Upon Another Time".[128]
Bareilles was in a relationship with former band member and guitarist Javier Dunn until 2013.[129][130][131] In August 2015, she met actorJoe Tippett during an out-of-town tryout forWaitress at theAmerican Repertory Theater inCambridge, Massachusetts, and they later began a relationship.[129][132][133][134] The couple made their first public appearance at theTony Awards two years later.[135] OnNew Year's Day in 2023, Bareilles and Tippett announced their engagement,[136][137] and they were married on October 4, 2025.[138] Tippett has appeared in productions ofWaitress as well as on the television seriesThe Morning Show andMare of Easttown.[139] Bareilles lives in the neighborhood ofWest Village in Manhattan.[140][141]
Bareilles considers herself "definitely sort of afeminist", saying, "I don't think that being a feminist has anything to do with hating anything. It's about celebrating women and being productive for females. I'm not one for seeing amazing, intelligent women being reduced to sex symbols."[142] Bareilles has been a longtime ally of theLGBTQ+ community and cites her song "Brave" as being inspired by her friend's struggle withcoming out.[66][143]
Studio albums
Soundtrack albums
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Girl Play | Singer in Bar | |
| 2012 | A Trace of the Sun: Volunteering in Japan | Herself | Documentary |
| 2023 | Waitress | Jenna Hunterson | Live stage recording of musical |
| 2025 | Come See Me in the Good Light | None | Documentary; executive producer |
| TBA | The Delicate Medium | None | Short film; executive producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Lipstick Jungle | Herself | Episode: "Chapter Nine: Help!" |
| 2009 | 30 Rock | Herself | Episode: "Kidney Now!" |
| 2011 | Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures | Herself | Episode: "Epic Rockstar" |
| The Sing-Off | Herself / Judge | 11 episodes | |
| No Ordinary Family | Herself | Episode: "No Ordinary Animal" | |
| 2013 | Community | Balloon Guide | Episode: "Intro to Felt Surrogacy" |
| 2016 | Sesame Street | Herself | Episode: "Music Magic" |
| 2017 | Julie's Greenroom | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert | Mary Magdalene | Television special |
| 2018 | 72nd Tony Awards | Herself/host | Television special |
| 2019 | Saturday Night Live | Herself / Musical Guest | Episode: "Kit Harington/Sara Bareilles"[144] |
| Carpool Karaoke: The Series | Herself | Episode: "Ben Platt & Sara Bareilles" | |
| 2020 | Central Park | None | Episode: "Skater's Circle" Songwriter: "Weirdos Make Great Superheroes" |
| Little Voice | Herself | Episode: "Sing What I Can't Say" Also executive producer[145] | |
| 2021–2024 | Girls5eva | Dawn Solano | Main role |
| Year | Title | Role | Dates | Location | Category | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Little Mermaid | Princess Ariel | June 3–4, 2016 | The Hollywood Bowl | Concert | |
| 2017 | Waitress | Jenna Hunterson | March 31 – June 11, 2017 | Brooks Atkinson Theatre | Broadway | |
| 2018 | January 16 – March 11, 2018 | |||||
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Mary Magdalene | April 1, 2018 | Marcy Avenue Armory | Concert | ||
| 2019 | Waitress | Jenna Hunterson | January 7 – February 3, 2019 | Brooks Atkinson Theatre | Broadway | |
| 2020 | January 27 – March 14, 2020 | Adelphi Theatre | West End | |||
| 2021 | September 2 – October 17, 2021 | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | Broadway | |||
| 2022 | Into the Woods | The Baker's Wife | May 4–15, 2022 | New York City Center | Encores! | |
| June 28 – September 4, 2022 | St. James Theatre | Broadway | ||||
| 2023 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | The Guest Producer | November 4, 2023 | James Earl Jones Theatre | [154] |
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
