Welcome back to Musical Monday, where I will be breaking down a different musical every week. This week, I’m back with a personal favorite, “Waitress.” Written by Jessie Nelson, with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, this theatrical adaptation of the 2007 film is a consistent favorite of mine.
Plot
“Waitress” follows the titular waitress, Jenna Hunterson, as she unexpectedly becomes pregnant with her abusive husband’s baby. Jenna has an affair with her married obstetrician Jim Pomatter, all while dealing with her impending motherhood by entering a pie contest in the hopes that the prize money will allow her to start fresh with her baby.
Show History
“Waitress” was originally performed in Massachusetts in 2015, for a limited month and a half run. The performances all sold out, and the production swiftly transitioned to Broadway, with many members of the Massachusetts cast making the switch, including leading lady Jessie Mueller.
The Broadway production opened in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on April 26, 2016, and made Broadway history due to all four of the top-billed creatives (book, music, director and choreographer) being women. It closed on Jan. 5, 2020, but was briefly remounted in 2021 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, where performances were filmed for a pro-shot that is now available to rent and buy on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
A West End production of the show opened March 7, 2019, and closed on March 14, 2020 when COVID-19 caused all West End theatres to shut down.
“Waitress” was nominated for four Tony awards and two Olivier Awards, but did not win any of them. Despite this, the show has a dedicated fanbase that continues to listen to the cast recording regularly.
Personal History
I first listened to “Waitress” in 2016, shortly after it came out. As a longtime Sara Bareilles fan, I immediately liked it, and songs from the cast recording swiftly made their way into my listening rotation. I saw the show live in 2019, when the National Tour came to my hometown, and I spent much of the show in tears. After the show, my dad and I went to the stage door, where I got to meet several of the actors and have them sign my playbill. That playbill is still on the wall of my bedroom back home.
Favorite Songs
My favorite songs from “Waitress” are hard to pin down, because there are so many that hit hard for me. Ultimately, I think that “What Baking Can Do” wins the top spot. The song is upbeat enough to listen to outside of the context of the show, but has the heart of the show in it. My other personal favorite is actually a cut song, titled “Door Number Three.” Bareilles released her own recording of the song, which was originally in the place of “What Baking Can Do” when she was writing the show. While the song that made it to Broadway was the right choice for the show, I still love “Door Number Three,” and listen to it frequently.
Favorite Fact
My favorite fun fact about “Waitress” is that the show spawned a showmance that has carried on to this day. During the original Massachusetts run of the show, Jenna’s husband Earl was played by Joe Tippett. Tippett and Bareilles met while working on the show, and now, they’re engaged.
Author: Tessa Cheshire
Photos courtesy of Joan Marcus
Editor: Anna Mower
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