Sara Bareilles’ hit musical Waitress has returned to Playhouse Square for an extended run in the close confines of the Hanna Theatre. The show is based on the 2007 motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly with a book by Jessie Nelson, music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction by Diane Paulus.
In this case, “a new look” does not mean improved.
The Hanna’s thrust stage has been removed and the theater’s excellent acoustical properties are buried under amplification. The vocalists and the compact onstage band, conducted by Lilli Wosk, often overwhelmed the space. What is usually an advantage in the Hanna (proximity of every seat to the stage) has become a liability.
The storyline has shifted to a caricature of the original’s “feel-good” small town vibe. Yes, we do sympathize with waitress Jenna (Stephanie Torns) who suffers in her marriage to abusive loser Earl (Brad Standley). Torns’ attractive Jenna belts out Bareilles’ quirky songs about the pies, pies created to fit every occasion. The titles offer an ongoing commentary on Jenna’s life: “Big Guy Strawberry Pie,” “I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie,” “I Hate My Husband Pie,” and “Pregnant, Miserable, Self-Pitying Loser Pie.”
So, Jenna is unhappily married and, we learn right away, she is faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Her doctor (Dr. Pomatter, played by Bryan Fenkart) offers to refer her to an abortion clinic. For some reason, she wants to keep the baby. Her husband’s response to the news is that she better love him more than the baby (“You Will Still Be Mine”). Jenna’s response is to have an affair with the married Dr. Pomatter.
Her co-workers Becky (Olivia Lucy Phillip) and Dawn (Kendyl Ito) support her and have love affairs of their own. Socially awkward (and single) Dawn and her new boyfriend, the nerdy Ogie (Daniel Quadrino), offer genuine laughs and steal the show. Quadrino dances up a storm and displays an impressive vocal range. He is a delight.
It seems every character has a problem, one that usually involves sex. The only one who does not is the cranky (but benevolent) owner of the café, Joe (Bill Nolte). Life improves at show’s end for Jenna when she falls in love with her baby (“Everything Changes”) and when Joe rewards her pie-making genius.
But the problem is, it does not do much to think too much about the plot or the characters’ motivations. Everything, every emotion, feels stripped-down, cartoonish, and clearly, better with a few drinks before the show.
A talented ensemble joins the named characters on stage, filling supporting roles, dancing appealingly, and managing scene changes. They were a joy to watch.
One delightful preshow touch featured Sara Bareilles herself and her “turn off your cell phone song.” [Listen to Sara Bareilles here.
Bottom Line: In an apparent attempt to update the 2016 original, the production offers a big serving of “Las Vegas and Saturday Night Live with a Touch of Urban Condescension Toward Small Town Doings Pie.” No joke is too obvious. Bananas? Check. Eye rolls? Check. And on and on.
[Written by Laura Kennelly]