Adrienne Shelly’s final film as a director was a masterpiece, and it’s hard to believe that anyone could see it as anything less. The story was simple yet powerful, following a small-town woman who finds herself pregnant by her abusive partner and complicates matters by having an affair with her gynecologist. Keri Russell’s performance was funny, romantic, and feminist, and the film’s modest success at the box office made it all the more tragic that Shelly would never make another movie.
But who would have thought that this story could be adapted into a Broadway musical? Directed by Diane Paulus with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, Waitress adds 40 minutes to Shelly’s original story but still manages to captivate audiences. The structure and many of the comic beats remain the same, but the music is more traditional than the indie-rock soundtrack of the film.
Director Brett Sullivan captures Paulus’ fluid staging in a way that suggests he may have studied Spike Lee’s 2020 concert movie American Utopia. The filming of the audience, the stage, and the building itself as characters consolidates the idea of live theater as something to participate in as much as be seen.
Sara Bareilles takes the lead as Jenna Hunterson, the pastry wizard at Joe’s Pie Diner. Her co-workers and confidantes, Becky and Dawn, are played by Charity Angél Dawson and Caitlin Houlahan, respectively. Jenna reveals to them that she’s pregnant and getting restless with her inattentive and sometimes violent husband Earl, played by Joe Tippett. A visit to Dr. Pomatter, played by Drew Gehling, reveals that she’s perilously attracted to the equally married physician.
As in the movie, there are certain customers that stop by, like the scene-stealing Ogie, played by Christopher Fitzgerald. The plot hinges on Jenna’s wistful wish to win the upcoming pie competition and leave Earl. But the musical doesn’t sugarcoat a bad marriage, and there’s some sympathy for Earl, who like almost everyone else in this town, is a character shaped by disappointment and disillusion.
Surprisingly for a musical, the production ebbs and flows quite nicely. Some songs are obviously more memorable than others, but everything serves the story. By the time the credits roll, you might be amazed to realize that nearly two and a half hours have just whizzed by. As they say in theater land, bra-vo!
Title: Waitress, The Musical – Live on Broadway
Festival: Tribeca (Spotlight+)
Director: Brett Sullivan
Stage Director: Diane Paulus
Screenwriters: Music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, book by Jessie Nelson, based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly
Cast: Sara Bareilles, Charity Angél Dawson, Caitlin Houlahan, Drew Gehling, Dakin Matthews, Eric Anderson, Joe Tippett, Christopher Fitzgerald
Running time: 2 hr 24 min
Sales agent: FilmNation Entertainment
