Tuesday was opening night of ‘Waitress,’ now playing at the Majestic Theatre until Sunday January 13 with showtimes at 7:30p.m. through Thursday; 8p.m. Friday; 2p.m. and 8p.m. Saturday and 2p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $40 and are available through Ticketmaster online, by calling 800-982-2787 or by visiting the Majestic box office. With music by six-time Grammy Nominee Sara Bareilles and inspired by Adrienne Shelley’s beloved movie, ‘Waitress’ is an uplifting musical celebrating friendship, motherhood and the magic of a well-made pie. Recommended age is 13 and older as it deals with mature subjects.
After Sara Bareilles’ version of the ‘please turn off your cellphones’ message plays overhead, ‘Waitress’ begins with Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker at Joe’s Diner whose method of dealing with difficult situations is turning them into pie ingredients for her famous pies “What’s Inside.” Her fantasy scene is interrupted by her boss Cal and so begins another work day with co-workers Becky, a sassy and tough waitress and Dawn, an overly anxious yet loveable waitress. On this particular day, Jenna is distracted by a possible pregnancy and after taking a home pregnancy test in the restroom, she is dismayed when it comes out positive “The Negative.” Due to her abusive marriage to Earl, she decides not to tell him about the baby and when she goes to her OB/GYN, she meets and is instantly smitten by the young and handsome new doctor, Dr. Pommater. When Jenna finds out about a local pie contest, she decides to enter and use the winning prize money to start a new life on her own. Her plans are disrupted when Earl finds the money she has been hiding to use for the pie contest and she is dismayed by her new reality “She Used to Be Mine.” Not content with being “happy enough,” she ends her on again/off again affair with Dr. Pommater when she has the baby. She ends up inheriting the diner from Joe, the old man she befriended and becomes the owner and head chef of “Lulu’s Pies,” named after her daughter.
Pies, the ingredients used to make them, and baking, play a central role in ‘Waitress’ since they are used as coping mechanisms and substitutes for lost loves and emotions. It is refreshing to see the live band onstage, rather than underground, like in most musicals, so the musicians are seen as part of the cast, rather than totally forgotten, albeit important, members of the production. Christine Dwyer does a splendid job of portraying the lonely and downcast Jenna but Jeremy Morse steals the show as Ogie, Dawn’s love interest. His scenes, especially on “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me,” provide the necessary comic relief from some of the more serious scenes. Show highlights include “When He Sees Me” when Dawn is excited about a potential love match and “Take It From an Old Man” when Jenna bonds with Joe, the owner of the diner. Despite being based on a movie, it is not required viewing beforehand since the characters are all relatable and deal with issues almost everyone can relate to, even if at the end Jenna does not “get the guy.” Overall, the setting, costumes and singing are impressive but there is some colorful language and mature subject matter, so ‘Waitress’ is more in league for a girls night out.
SA Examiner 