I had my first taste of “Waitress” when I saw the 2007 film, written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. Nearly a decade later, I fell in love with the Broadway adaptation when I saw the show in New York in 2016.
So it’s only fitting that this year, National Pie Day fell on opening night of “Waitress” at East Lansing’s Wharton Center — a timely opportunity to revisit the diner.
What’s inside this tasty delight of a musical? It’s bust a gut and break your heart, with a dreamy chiffon filling and drizzles of bittersweet chocolate.
“Waitress” tells the story of Jenna, a waitress in a small town diner with a passion for baking intricate pies. Her drive to pursue her dreams and leave a loveless marriage is derailed by the unhappy discovery that she is pregnant. With the support of her fellow waitresses and an unlikely benefactor, Jenna learns that her baby isn’t the roadblock to her dreams, but the path itself.
Thanks to what was hailed as Broadway’s first all-female creative team, including songwriter Sara Bareilles, book writer Jessie Nelson and director Diane Paulus, the musical’s themes of friendship, motherhood, and female strength are very fitting in today’s national conversation.
Desi Oakley is lovely as the sweet as pie Jenna; her voice soars on the heartbreaking “She Used to Be Mine,” and blends in layered harmony with her fellow waitresses Charity Angél Dawson (Becky) and Lenne Klingaman (Dawn) on songs like the dreamy “A Soft Place to Land.”
Oakley’s interactions with Jenna’s lowlife husband Earl, played by a gravelly Nick Bailey, are tense and troubling; they give a glimpse into a harsh reality faced by Jenna, caught in a vicious cycle also faced by her mother (in brief flashbacks) and countless other real-life women.
But make no mistake: “Waitress” is also a very sweet escape. And it is funny.
Dawson’s Becky is a spunky spitfire with a secret. Klingaman’s Dawn is a turtle-loving introvert who desperately needs to come out of her shell. Mixed together, they are a source of support for Jenna and laughs for the audience.
As Jenna’s OB/GYN Dr. Pommater, Bryan Fenkart is endearingly awkward, a Hugh Grant minus the English accent. Wharton Center audiences might remember Fenkart when he came to East Lansing with the national tour of “Memphis.”
Maiesha McQueen is a scene stealer every moment she is on stage; as Nurse Norma, she helps anchor the fantasy of Jenna and Dr. Pommater’s bad idea of an affair with a dash of much-needed reality.
As crusty Cal, Jenna’s boss at the diner, Ryan G. Dunkin is a hoot, with a gritty exterior covering up the softy inside. He is the lovable jerk to Earl’s unlovable one, and no match for Becky’s sassy comebacks.
And perhaps the most lovable character is Ogie, played with nerdy bravado by Jeremy Morse. As her unlikely soulmate with oddly specific shared interests, Morse’s Ogie wins over Dawn and the audience with “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me.” I’ll never think of George Washington and Betsy Ross in the same way.
With the band prominently on stage and often interacting with the characters, “Waitress” feels more like an intimate concert than a musical. The setup is reminiscent of “Spring Awakening,” a show that also features music from a singer-songwriter, Duncan Sheik.
Much like “Spring Awakening,” the “Waitress” soundtrack has an evergreen listenability for me; many songs would fit seamlessly into the SiriusXM Coffeehouse rotation — a testament to Bareilles’ talent as a singer-songwriter.
A story sweet as sugar. A cast rich as butter. Songs airy as flour. With all of the right ingredients, it’s no wonder that loving “Waitress” is as easy as pie.
Don’t miss an opportunity to see “Waitress” at the Wharton Center, now playing through Sunday, January 28. Click here for show and ticket information.
And read my interview with Lenne Klingaman here!