To See or Not to See: Waitress

Waitress, a new musical by singer Sara Bareilles, is based upon the movie of the same name (starring one of our favorites, Keri Russell). This musical adaptation has catchy songs, a little bit of romance, and a little bit of heartache. And let’s not forget the pie. The scent of freshly baking apple pie wafts into the lobby to greet audiences as they enter the Brooks Atkinson Theater. They sell pie at the snack stands (ridiculously over-priced baby mason jars of pie. Do yourself a favor and pick up some pie before or after the show to avoid it.). The curtain is one giant image of cherry pie. Pie is at the heart of the show; “Flour. Butter. Sugar.” is sung throughout almost as a reminder of all the love, sadness, and feeling that gets baked into Waitress‘s pies.

If you are familiar with Sara Bareilles’s music (remember super-hit, “Brave”, anyone?) before seeing Waitress, you will have a good idea of what the music in the show is like. Full of vocal runs, hand clapping, and inspiring lyrics, this soundtrack can easily be a regular studio album (and, for Bareilles, it is!). The music and songs range from comedic expositions to deeply-felt moments where hearts are laid bare, just as the story dictates.

The story follows an unhappy waitress, Jenna (Jessie Mueller), who works at Joe’s Diner. When she’s not serving customers, she is baking fanciful combinations of pie (Lonely Chicago Pie: dark chocolate mixed with blackberries. The moments when Jenna invents her pies are scattered throughout the show. They are wonderful. The way these little interludes are staged is quite lovely; the song, the choreography, and the lighting are all in sync.). Her husband, Earl (Nick Cordero), is generally an arrogant, selfish man who, when he discovers Jenna is pregnant, tells her to “Promise you’ll love me more than the baby.”. When we see her meet her new male ob-gyn, Dr. Pomatter (gawky yet sweet Drew Gehling), we can’t help but cheer a little bit when Jenna finds some happiness in him. Jenna discovers happiness, and it allows her to accept and believe in herself. Along Jenna’s journey from unhappily pregnant to loving life, we meet her small, but supportive world of friends at Joe’s Diner.

Jenna’s coworkers and close friends, Dawn (Kimiko Glenn) and Becky (Keala Settle), are a delight to watch. The show’s scene stealer, however, is Christopher Fitzgerald as Ogie. His goofy, strange mannerisms and professions of love to Dawn are downright endearing. His physical acrobatics (jumping on chairs or performing small bits of physical comedy) are dazzling, specifically in “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me.”

Jessie Mueller is, simply put, a powerhouse vocalist. When she croons and belts and whispers in “She Used to Be Mine”, you know you are witnessing something special. And, on the lighter songs in Waitress, Mueller also excels. Her vocal runs are crystal clear and wonderful. She captures the emotions and reasoning behind each of Jenna’s pies. Sometimes, they are made up of disparate ingredients (like when she is upset and confused about being pregnant) while sometimes they are pleasantly paired (when she feels love).

That is what Waitress is. It is a story about life. It is about how you may not get the life you envisioned, but you can still be wildly happy and surround yourself with love. And lots and lots of pie. As Jenna sings, “She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie.”

*Waitress is currently running at the Brooks Atkinson Theater.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus