It's been a month since Waitress played its first official performance of its run at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, and I've seen nothing but positive reviews from every corner of the Internet. I had the pleasure of seeing this show on May 14 and it lived up to and beyond all the positive feedback it's been getting. From the second the show began I was hooked and I have to say that it's one of the best shows that I've seen in a while.
I've been thinking quite a bit about the show as a whole and it dawned on me just how special a production like this is. Waitress is a show that's incredibly refreshing to watch and is something Broadway needed but probably didn't realize they did.
For one thing, Waitress is the first Broadway show to ever have an all female creative team. That's a huge deal on its own and deserves to be recognized. Waitress is based on the movie of the same name, written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelley, who also starred in the film, and it features music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. This was her first time tackling a project like this and she did a phenomenal job with the score. All the songs not only sound like they could make up an actual Sara Bareilles album, but they also fit together like a puzzle and each individual song plays into its scene perfectly. Waitress also has Jessie Nelson as the book writer for the musical and Diane Paulus as the director. That's a lot of talented ladies that put their heads together create such a beautiful finished product.
Then there's the story. Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and pie creator/baker in at a pie diner in a small southern town stuck in a bad marriage to a hellish husband. She finds herself pregnant and suddenly falling in love with her OB/GYN and carries that relationship on behind her husband's back for a while. But the most important part of the show's story is that it teaches a lesson. Following the birth of Jenna's daughter, she has an epiphany and kicks her husband out of her life. In the end, she saves herself and doesn't need a male figure to do it for her. Out of all the shows involving love stories currently on Broadway I can't think of too many others that the girl not only saves herself but chooses herself instead of a guy. And that right there is the lesson that can be taken away from this show. You don't need someone to save you. If you look deep enough within yourself you'll find that you have enough courage and strength to save yourself and that's such a beautiful discovery to make. I can't remember the last show I saw that taught a lesson, especially such an important one, and that helps set this show apart from the rest.
Waitress earned four Tony nominations, including Best Musical, and I wholeheartedly believe that it deserved every single one of them. I can only hope that on awards night this shows receives all the attention it deserves. I would see it again in a heartbeat and I very strongly encourage everyone to give it a chance. Welcome to Broadway, Waitress; we needed you more than anyone realized and I sincerely hope you're here to stay for a really long time. You deserve it. Now, go take New York City by storm like I know you can. Besides, you've already started to.
