In honor of Pi Day, I’m pulling this one out of the drafts. Back in March 2016, I had the chance to see the original cast of Waitress during the musical’s preview weekend on Broadway.
My good friend is a huge Sara Bareilles fan and was hoping that Sara might do something special during the previews. While she did not, I will say the show is now one of my favorites I’ve seen on Broadway. I watched Waitress on DVD several years back on Netflix, curious in equal parts from the cute cover image, the synopsis and the fact that I’ve loved Keri Russell since her days as Felicity. I was curious to see the movie adapted for Broadway and to get to see Jessie Muehler, having never seen her in a show before.
Before we even walked into the theater, I was happy to be supporting the production. Unlike any other show on Broadway, Waitress has an all female creative crew – including filmmaker Adrienne Shelly, composer & lyricist Sara Bareilles, playwright Jessie Nelson and director Diane Paulus.
I loved the energy of the show from the very beginning, the cast collectively coming together in a way different from any other show I’ve ever seen. As a food blogger, I loved the way the food played a role in the musical itself – although I’ll concede that some of the songs aren’t necessarily true to the baking process. The theater smelled of pie when we walked in. The production has an actual Pie Consultant, and team that preps 32 pies that are used to decorate the stage. This article explains more on that and the added reason why the theater smells so good – a hidden pie baking continually throughout the performance! You can buy real miniature pies though at intermission, baked by a team of eight bakers and served in small mason jars – a souvenir I still regret I didn’t cave and buy when I went. The pies themselves are actually candles, provided by Everything Dawn Bakery.
As is the case in most shows, the focus is on several networks of relationships that all lead back to the main character, Jenna. The relationship between Jenna and her husband, Earl, is one layer to the story – but I found that it was the dynamic between her and the other ladies working in the diner and then, ultimately, her relationship with her soon-to-be-born daughter that drew me in.
Dear baby
I hope someday, somebody wants to hold you for twenty minutes straight
They don’t pull away, they don’t look at your face
And they don’t try to kiss you
All they do is wrap you up in their arms and hold on tight without an ounce of selfishness in it
I hope you become addicted, baby
I hope you become addicted to sayin’ things
And having them matter to someone
– “You Matter to Me”
The entire soundtrack is top-notch but my absolute favorite song out of them all is “She Used to be Mine.” It’s a touching song that Sara Bareilles herself explains here focused on Jenna’s reflection on the changes she’s gone through as she approaches motherhood. At the time I saw the show, I was two months pregnant – which made the show even more meaningful. I remember the tears flowing during this powerful song towards the end of the show – something it still makes me do every time I listen to it. Below you can see it as a part of the 2016 Tony’s or this electric full performance of it by Jessie Muehler.
If you haven’t already seen it, I highly recommend it.
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