It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for the Broadway smash Waitress the Musical to reach Australian shores, with the show initially slated to debut in 2020 (we all know why that didn’t happen) and after that cancellation, it took a few years for it to finally arrive.
And thank heavens it did, as Waitress is a joyous, feel-good show that is impossible to dislike, with a winning cast, incredible Sara Bareilles song score and an engrossing story that, while familiar, hits all the right beats.
From the moment you walk into the theatre you are bombarded with the smell of cinnamon pies with the foyer of Her Majesty’s Theatre having never smelt better. Once you get into the theatre itself, the massive rotating pie warmers on either side of the stage are a nice touch to instantly transport the audience into the world of the show.
Based on the 2007 film starring Keri Russell, Waitress takes place in small town America, with the show centering around an upbeat but stunted waitress named Jenna (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), who has an exceptional talent for baking unusual and delicious pies at the eatery where she works – Joe’s Pie Diner.
While Jenna loves her job and the friends she works with – Becky (Gabriyel Thomas) and Dawn (Mackenzie Dunn) – something is missing in her life. Trapped in a loveless marriage with her abusive husband Earl (Keanu Gonzalez), things initially seem worse for Jenna when she discovers she’s pregnant.
Wanting to keep the baby, but not sure whether she wants to be a mother, especially not while still married to Earl, things are further complicated when Jenna embarks on an illicit affair with her married gynaecologist Dr Pomatter (Rob Mills).
But it’s her talent for pie making, which, as shown in a series of almost dreamlike sequences, seems to inform most aspects of her life, with the ingredients and flavours of her daily baked desserts providing an elegant metaphor for what is going on in her life on any given day.
But with a pie baking contest on the horizon that offers a $20,000 first prize, Jenna spies that as her best chance to make a better life for herself and the baby.
The 2007 film was an ideal choice for a stage adaptation, with it having all the ingredients of a feel-good show about a likeable underdog beaten down by life that you want to see succeed despite the odds. There are certainly some cheer-worthy moments in the show, and Bareilles’ music and lyrics work brilliantly in tandem with the show’s witty book written by Jessie Nelson.
While there has been controversy surrounding the casting of Bassingthwaighte, I could not fault her performance. I’m sure many other actors could have done wonderful things with the part, but Bassingthwaighte knocks it out of the park both with her empathetic acting and powerhouse vocals.
Mills is solid in support as Dr Pomatter, with the character proving a likeable love interest, but perhaps not factoring into the story as much as you might expect. There are standout performances from Thomas and Dunn as Jenna’s pals and confidants, with Dunn especially bringing the geeky and affable Dawn to life with pin-point comic timing and a lot of heart.
Special mention must go to the brief but memorable contribution of the hilarious Gareth Isaac as Dawn’s unlikely (and equally geeky) suitor, who steals every scene he’s in with his physical comedy talents and was the undisputed audience favourite on the night I attended.
It’s also always wonderful to see the legendary John Waters on stage in any capacity, and here he plays the kindly and wise pie shop owner and is responsible for some of the show’s most touching moments.
The standout musical numbers are arguably the splashy and supremely catchy opening song (appropriately titled Opening Up) as well as the devastatingly beautiful and tragic She Used to be Mine, an excellent ballad which not surprisingly has achieved popularity outside of the show.
Waitress is not entirely dissimilar to one of Jenna’s baked treats in that it’s pleasing to the eye and goes down easily, but, thanks to an overly familiar narrative and some thinly drawn characterisations, doesn’t ever quite feel like a full meal.
But regardless, Waitress the Musical is sure to be a definite crowd-pleaser on its debut Australian run and is definitely a delectable treat worth devouring.
4/5 STARS
Playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne until July 9, then playing at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre from August 1st.
Tickets and more information via waitressthemusical.com.au
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 