By Lynn Venhaus
I’ll take a big ol’ slice of Live Your Life pie, please and thank you.
The winds of change were blowing at the Muny this week, a welcome force like the powerful fans cooling the audience. From my vantage point, “Waitress” was a breath of fresh air.
The musical equivalent of comfort food has delivered a tasty combination of love, hope and inspiration since its Broadway debut in 2016.
Blazing trails, the musical’s Muny and Midwest regional premiere opened as an intimate slice-of-life heart-tugger. Scores of young women filled seats, and it was refreshing to see this show’s next generations appeal.
They can be inspired by this show by women about women – and most importantly, believe in their dreams and their voice.
Patrons were greeted with a cozy, comfortable stop on the open road, where down-home folks gathered at picnic tables for eggs, coffee, and a slice of expert baker Jenna Hunterson’s delicious pies, an inviting rustic tableau – complete with cars parked on stage.
With its big heart baked into a buttery shell, the production moves with an appetizing naturalism.
As Jenna made magic out of flour, butter and sugar, so did the ceiling-breaking all-female creative team — Lili-Anne Brown directing her third show here after rattling the rafters with “The Color Purple” and “Rent”; first-time music director Andra Velis Simon; and choreographer Chloe O. Davis.
A sturdy ensemble, representing a small-town milieu, was outfitted in work and casual attire by costume designer Raquel Adorno.
In an interesting twist, they moved in unison to “What’s Inside” and “Opening Up,” creating a rhythm that would reflect ultramodern sensibilities, thanks to Davis’ sleek choreography.
Some nifty touches include the chorus clapping like flamenco dancers to add beats to the robust duet “Bad Idea” that ends Act I. (And will be stuck in your head the rest of the night).
Taking a closer look, my fellow theatergoers, means “Waitress” is one of the two most recent contemporary hits produced at the Muny. In the pandemic-shortened 2021 season, “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan” played six years after it ran on Broadway in 2015, and “Waitress” arrives nine years after it opened.
Take note, those who complain about the lack of variety or too-few 21st century pieces. (2025 season survey now online (www.muny.org/showsurvey).
Talk about an auspicious Muny moment!
The biggest draw is pop star Sara Bareilles’ perceptive score, with its catchy hooks and poignant lyrics, but also the female empowerment story evokes warm feelings about family, friends, and the people who carry us through tough times.
Bareilles, a Gen X singer-songwriter and actress, has been a hit-record making machine since 2007, and her piano-based pop soul music has sold more than 3 million albums and 15 million singles.
Her fresh sounds flavor the lives of these ordinary people, and Simon’s conducting brings out the music’s luscious beats.
The joy for the material is substantial, led by a tactile and plucky tight trio of waitresses. In a rural Southern setting, sassy Becky (Nicole Michelle Haskins) and nerdy Dawn (Lissa deGuzman) plus silky-smooth Jessica Vosk as self-doubting Jenna — make Joe’s Diner their home away from home.
Each bona fide stars, they form an ‘all for one’ attitude like those rogue French musketeers, holding on to dreams and keep each other going, displaying beautiful harmonies in “A Soft Place to Land” and a spirited “The Negative.”
Jenna is surprised by an unplanned pregnancy, for she feels trapped in an unhappy marriage to the controlling, abusive Earl (Ben Crawford). Boss Joe (Tony winner Cleavant Derricks) tells her about a pie-baking contest with a hefty grand prize, and that gives her hope for a fresh start.
She also begins a startling affair with her doctor, Dr. James “Jim” Pomatter (Devin DeSantis). The show’s adulting is complicated, with Becky getting frisky at work with grouchy Cal (Jonah D. Winston) and Dawn finding true love online with eccentric soulmate Ogie (Troy Iwata).
These aren’t your typical romantic entanglements, and this isn’t your usual musical template. It’s for mature audiences, and this creative team hasn’t messed with the candid storytelling. (I’d rate it PG-13, suitable for teens but not youngsters).
Based on writer-director-actress Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 independent film starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion and Andy Griffith as Joe, it touches on a fierce sisterhood and their thorny problems.
(A tragic note: The creator Shelly was murdered in 2006 before the film was released. A construction worker who had been working in her office apartment building was convicted of first-degree manslaughter. Her husband gave writer Jessie Nelson some of his wife’s notes to use for the adaptation.)
The Muny’s fearless female force leans into the friendship bonds just as the original’s rare historic team did – besides Bareilles and Nelson, Diane Paulus was the director and Lorin Latarro choreographer. (First ever musical to have women in top four slots).
The feisty women characters, who are tangy in conversations and occasionally curse, are ones you root for, and even though Jenna’s life is a hot mess, they will eventually concoct their own recipes for success.
These are women who don’t think they deserve their dreams, but oh, as the comedy and drama unfold, we see the power of community lift them up.
If there is one overarching theme this season it is “Community.” How fortunate we can celebrate the things that unite us, from the potent cries for mercy and freedom in “Les Miserables,” the aspirations to be somebody in “Dreamgirls,” the enchanting world of make-believe in “The Little Mermaid” where fairy tales come true, and the unwavering bonds of faith and family in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
And now, with “Waitress,” you detect that important sense of community that never goes out of style – and especially with fired-up women. As Eleanor Roosevelt so eloquently put it: “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
Because of their bodies, women have their own specific viewpoints on pregnancy, and the female-centric jokes are amusing in “Club Knocked Up” and “The Contraction Ballet.”
Yes, the Muny goes there, honestly. The frank subject matter regarding relationships is a risk that reflects moving the needle forward, like “The Color Purple,” “Rent,” “Kinky Boots,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Chess,” and even “Young Frankenstein” did when they finally arrived on the Muny stage.
And kudos for the insight on how pregnant women walk, move and look that adds authenticity to the performances.
Vosk, so impressive last summer in “Chess” and two years ago as the Narrator in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” is a powerful, emotional vocalist in the upper echelon of professional talent. As Jenna, she shows vulnerability and resolve.
When she lovingly tells her baby girl, “We’re going to be happy, little girl, and not just happy enough” – you believe in Jenna’s tremendous strength – and she does too.
Her soul-baring “She Used to Be Mine” is a stunner, the show’s knockout punch. And the motherhood anthem, “Everything Changes,” stands out too, with an uplifting company reprise.
“Waitress” ran for four years on Broadway, from 2016 to 2020, with 33 previews and 1,544 performances. It was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, but that was the year “Hamilton” was the runaway train, winning 11.
After seeing the 2007 movie, a national tour at the Fox Theatre in 2019 and the filmed version of its 2021 limited engagement return, which came out in December 2023 (and is available on digital platforms), I’ve increased my appreciation on subsequent viewings. I’ve always been captivated by the score and the performances, but still think the book has some problems, particularly the awful Earl character.
Lazy, selfish, and brutish, he’s such an insufferable jerk without any redeeming qualities that it can be difficult waiting for Jenna to act in her best interest. Ben Crawford, entirely sympathetic as The Beast last year in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” accomplishes quite a reversal by going full junkyard dog mean.
Dr. Pomatter, the dreamy OB/gyn, is married to a perfectly fine woman who is working her residency at the hospital; therefore, the infidelity is a sticking point. The show glosses over the consequences of cheating, and trust. We’re not talking Disney princesses. (Although she did win him over with her Mermaid Marshmallow Pie).
“Waitress” isn’t the first musical to address married people fooling around. (Hello, “The Bridges of Madison County,” “A Little Night Music,” and “Into the Woods,” to name a few.) It’s those gray areas of life…real people problems, rooted in reality that creates endless plot variations. After all, misery loves company.
And then there is that very human spice that brings passion to the forefront when added to the mix.
DeSantis, whose velvety tenor pairs well with Vosk’s commanding range, delivers their misbehaving dilemma duet “Bad Idea” superbly and continues to display his conflicted heart in “You Matter to Me.” Their connection is palpable, sprinkled with heat, and reduced through conscience-wrangling.
The humor satisfies and sustains the show. Flaky Ogie’s numbers “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me” and “I Love You Like a Table” show off Troy Iwata’s impeccable comic timing. He’s a fun fireball on stage, stealing every scene he is in, and delightful when paired with DeGuzman. They embrace their peculiarities, endearing them to the audience.
Nicole Michelle Haskins, who won a St. Louis Theater Circle Award for her role as Sofia in “The Color Purple” in 2022, is forceful as the tart-tongued Becky. Her comedic timing is also flawless. And Winston, funny as all-bark-no-bite Cal, is a formidable foil for her.
The renowned Cleavant Derricks finds the sweet spot between the curmudgeonly crusty customer Joe and the compassionate boss Joe, delivering a moving “Take It from an Old Man.” Derricks won a Tony Award for originating the role of James Thunder Early in “Dreamgirls.”
The arrival of Lulu in the final scene is the full-circle cherry on top, with charming Torri Tripoli sparkling as the light of Jenna’s life.
Also noteworthy were Patricia Jewel, a real gem, as quippy Nurse Norma and dance captain Kaitlyn Louise Smith as Jenna’s mother (in flashback).
A marvel in motion, Wilson Chin’s ingenious set design, combining diner, doctor’s office, and the Hutcherson home is as eye-catching as it is functional. Smoothly turning for each transition, his interesting take on freeing up a diner’s interior added much to the atmosphere.
Chin’s making his Muny debut, but his stunning set for “Angel Street” at The Repertory Theatre in St. Louis in 2015 won a St. Louis Theater Circle Award.
Lighting designer Heather Gilbert enhanced the cordial feeling, with festive lights strung for a distinctive look.
Cravings for pie are inevitable, and video designer Mike Tutaj, new to the Muny, dispenses pie recipes on clever menu ticket graphics. Getting Out of the Mud Pie is just one of many innovative takes on the American classic dessert. Sure, she makes an apple version, but with cocoa chiffon and rose petals.
I believe, like Gary Johnson, Glen Powell’s character in the Netflix movie “Hit Man,” who says “All pie is good pie” as his signature opening statement. Food always brings people together, and so does live theater – hence, the earthy alchemy of “Waitress.”
And dessert alert, as a special treat, the Muny has teamed up with Ted Drewes to offer Jenna’s Apple Pie Concrete only this week at the concession stands. Another St. Louis institution making its debut.
A theater insider note: Another confectionary delight was added to the script when the musical returned to Broadway in 2021 for a limited engagement (filmed at this time to release as a movie musical) – “A Big Ol Slice of Live Your Life Pie.”
That is a tribute to the late actor Nick Cordero, who originated the role of Earl on Broadway. He died in July 2020 at the age of 41 after a brutal fatal battle with COVID-19. His song “Live Your Life” became an anthem, and that reference is now included for all companies.
A bountiful feast for the eyes and ears, “Waitress” is a pleasant pop experience with enough zip to sweeten a sweltering summer night. This production has effectively created common ground for an enduring theme of community, and what a delightful spritz it is..
The Muny presents “Waitress” July 30 – Aug. 5 at 8:15 p.m. nightly at the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information, visit www.muny.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
