Review: "Waitress" has all the right ingredients

When it opened on Broadway in 2016, "Waitress" (which is still running as this is being written) was nominated for the Best Musical award not only by the Tonys, but the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League. Surprisingly, it didn't win any of them.

The cast of Waitress
Photo by Philicia Endelman

I say "surprisingly" because, after seeing the current tour at the Fox, I came away convinced that "Waitress" is a damn near perfect piece of small-cast musical theatre. Jessie Nelson's heartwarming book (based on Adrienne Shelly's 2007 film of the same name), Sara Bareilles's eclectic score, and the outstanding performances by the ensemble cast combine to produce an evening of theatre that's as perfect as one of the protagonist's pies.

That protagonist is Jenna, a waitress at Joe's Diner somewhere in the South who hopes her extraordinary culinary skills might win help her win a baking contest that will get her out of a loveless marriage to her appallingly self-centered and abusive husband Earl. She has the support of her friends and fellow waitresses Becky and Dawn as well as the sympathy of the crusty manager Cal, but an unexpected pregnancy and even more unexpected affair with Jim Pomatter, the new town doctor, threaten to disrupt everything. The story of how she finds the strength to change her life is inspirational and carries an uplifting message of female empowerment without ever becoming preachy.

Christine Dwyer
Photo by Tim Trumble

Christine Dwyer is a strong and credible Jenna, finding her inner strength through the mantra of baking in the song "What's Inside." Ephie Aardema is the elfin Dawn, freaking out in advance of a blind date with the geeky Ogie in the comic "When He Sees Me." Ogie is played with droll precision (and impressive dance moves) by Jeremy Morse. Becky is as brassy and sassy as Dawn is shy, and Maiesha McQueen plays her with all the vital force you could want. She has a powerful voice to boot, as she demonstrates in "I Didn't Plan It," the number in which she defends her affair with Cal, played with gruff charm by Ryan G. Dunkin.

Steven Good's Dr. Pomatter is a masterful study in self-effacement, making the character's awkwardness and repressed passion endearing. Matt DeAngelis fully embraces the pure awfulness or Earl, making him a character the audience loves to hate. Richard Kline is completely endearing as Joe, the owner of the diner whose song of life lessons, "Take It From an Old Man," is a moving highlight of the show.

Steven Good and Christine Dwyer
Photo by Philicia Endelman

Technically, "Waitress" is a marvel. Diane Paulus's direction, Lorin Latarro's choreography, and Scott Pask's highly mobile sets combine to create a fast-paced and fluid show. Scenes shift in the blink of an eye and the thirteen members of the ensemble are in nearly constant motion. They take on multiple characters and sometimes act as an extra pair of hands for the principals. Even the six-piece onstage band is mobile, often shifting with the scenery.

There are serious themes at the heart of "Waitress," such as the tragic tendency of children who grow up in abusive homes to move on to abusive relationships in adulthood, but ultimately this is a show about taking control of your life and the strength of sisterhood. If you're looking for a purely life-affirming musical, "Waitress" is surely the show for you.

Performances of "Waitress" continue through April 7 at the Fabulous Fox in Grand Center.