Waitress: The Musical is the Broadway show captured on film. Since I’ll never make it to a Broadway show, getting the opportunity to see beloved musicals like this one on my TV screen is a real treat.
Sara Bareilles wrote the music for Waitress: The Musical and stars in it as Jenna, the pregnant waitress. There’s a lot of history behind this story which was originally a film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. In the film, Keri Russell played Jenna. If you want to check the history, Adrienne the biopic is on Max and Waitress the movie is on Hulu. Max is where you can see Waitress: The Musical.
The stage show with all its set changes, on-stage musicians, and songs was captured as a live performance for the film. It’s like sitting in the audience just feet from the stage to watch it, with the bonus of close-ups and a more intimate feel.
Jenna is famous for her creative and original pies. She bakes pies in a cafe run by the grouchy Cal (Eric Anderson). Working with Jenna are Becky (Charity Angél Dawson) and Dawn (Caitlin Houlahan). The demanding customer (who actually owns the diner) is Joe (Dakin Matthews).
Jenna talks about her pies in detail. She often imagines her Mother (Molly Jobe) there baking with her. Jenna learns about a pie making contest with $20,000 in prize money and she desperately wants to go there and win the money.
Jenna is married to an abusive jerk named Earl (Joe Tippett). She wants to leave him. Finding out she’s pregnant is really a wrench in the works.
Jenna goes to see Dr. Pomatter (Drew Gehling). Nurse Norma (Anastacia McCleskey) sizes these two up quickly and adds humor to the proceedings.
Dr. Pomatter is married to another doctor. He’s new in town.
Of course, Jenna and Dr. Pomatter fall in love. For a live show on a stage their scenes managed to be quite sexy – as they sang all the while.
Secondary plot lines about Becky’s love life and Dawn’s hilarious relationship with Ogie (Christopher Fitzgerald) add to the fun. Each of them get a good solo number, too.
The music was part of the storytelling. Some of the songs were big production numbers while others were solos accompanied by just a guitar or a piano. There was an ensemble of diner customers who doubled as chorus members and dancers when it was needed. Christopher Fitzgerald as Ogie was surprisingly athletic as a dancer. Everything about it was dynamic, fast paced, yet touching and heartfelt. The basic story of Waitress remains an inspiring feminist claim to freedom and self-worth. That hasn’t changed since Adrienne Shelly first imagined it.
The show was directed by Diane Paulus with Brett Sullivan directing the film. Watch it on Max.
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