She’s imperfect, but she tries. She is good, but she lies. She is hard on herself. She is broken but won’t ask for help. She is messy, but she’s kind. She is lonely most of the time. She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie. She is gone, but she used to be mine.
– Jenna Hunterson, “She Used to Be Mine” –
I can now say I’ve seen a Broadway show (or four). I was such a fan of the 2007 movie Waitress, starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion, I knew I wanted to see the musical version. This desire changed from wanted to to had to after I listened to Sara Bareilles’s What’s Inside: Songs from Waitress.
The friend that I was staying with—let’s call her “S”—hadn’t seen the musical yet. After I talked it up, S decided to see it with me. For tickets, we headed directly to the box office to get next day tickets for Saturday night (07/01). We snagged last row seats in the rear mezzanine, costing $48/person.
Having seen Jessie Mueller—the musical’s original Jenna—on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, I knew to expect the aroma of just out of the oven pie wafting in the theater. The Brooks Atkinson did not disappoint.
The pie-theme was also evident at the concessions counter, which offered a number of musical-themed drinks (e.g. Old Joe’s Horny Past – pecan pie whiskey and ginger ale, topped with whipped cream) and mason jar bottled pies. The latter consisted of a crumbled graham cracker or oreo cookie base topped with a pudding or mousse body. Delicious, but slightly disappointing for someone that grew up on homemade pies.
As a musical adaptation of a movie, Waitress hits the film’s highlights and retains its heart. However, I would like to mention, I found it helpful to have seen the movie first, as S had some issues catching some of the humorous bits since she was unfamiliar with the dialogue.
The cast, led by current-Jenna Betsy Wolfe, was wonderful. The live band that plays onstage during a majority of the diner scenes was a treat. Finally, I must note that Christopher Fitzgerald’s Ogie stole the show with his catchy, if potentially sinister, intent of courtship, “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me.”
Ultimately, Waitress is a fun, sweet musical that I could see being a hit in the Midwest. Hopefully, it’ll be heading that way eventually.
※ Information:
- Site: Waitress: The Musical
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Jessie Mueller Chats & Sings With Stephen Over Pecan Pie
- Location: Brooks Atkinson Theatre
- Address: 256 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036
- Duration: 2 hrs 30 min
- Intermission: Yes
- Ticket Price: $48
- Source: Box Office
Laurel, Annotated 