‘Waitress’ is a sweet but understated slice of pie, with a heartwarming plot that can lose its momentum at times.
‘Waitress’ features music and lyrics from Sara Bareilles (‘Love Song’, ‘Brave’) and a book by Jessie Nelson. It tells the story of Jenna (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), who is a baker and a waitress, in an abusive relationship with her husband. Throughout the show, we watch Jenna grapple with a crisis of conscience. . . And the prospect of running away to start life all over again.
The music in ‘Waitress’ is wonderful. It has the bounce of the chirpy piano-driven pop that Bareilles has been known to produce, paired with the swelling emotion of focus-pulling ballads that can bring the theatre to a standstill. Bassingthwaighte brings her all to Jenna – showcasing some pretty impressive vocals and a full range of emotions through her acting. Jenna is flanked by her colleagues Becky (the sensational Gabriyel Thomas) and Dawn (the charming Mackenzie Dunn) as she makes her way through life’s challenges.
Gabriyel Thomas in particular brings a fantastic energy to ‘Waitress’, practically guaranteeing laughs and full engagement each time she gets to shine. . . And what a voice. She is perhaps the highlight of ‘Waitress’, even in her smaller stage time.
Mackenzie Dunn is considerably goofy and appropriately cringe as Dawn, though the character – through no fault of Mackenzie’s – can feel a touch one-note and a display of a relatively predicable trope. Ogie, played by Gareth Isaac, builds on this predictability alongside her, however their joint time on stage garners much laughter and applause from the audience and they share an impressively believable chemistry.
Rob Mills is Doctor Pomatter, who sees to Jenna when she discovers she’s pregnant. . . And things get a little steamier than anticipated. The script and physical comedy of this role, while entertaining enough (one particular highlight is a montage-style sequence of saucy doctor visits from Jenna) feel somewhat disjointed and never fully-formed. . . However Mills and Bassingthwaighte are great to watch together and work well as a pair on stage.
Keanu Gonzalez and John Xintavelonis bring a sprinkling of toxic masculinity to ‘Waitress’, each in their own way and the former much more than the latter. Keanu’s Earl is easily detestable from the second he walks on stage – a credit to Keanu’s committed embodiment. He’s a total slime ball, and that is hammed up to comedic levels here. . . Which can almost feel wrong at times considering the few scenes where it feels as though Jenna is in real danger in her own home.
John’s Cal is a lighter presence – though still clearly written as an asshole, there’s a much softer edge to him and a surprising yet strangely pleasant payoff with another character midway through the show.
The legendary John Waters steps into the shoes of diner owner Joe, bringing an endearing yet rough-around-the-edges portrayal. His constant presence in the diner and Jenna’s ongoing conversations with him are fun to watch, and the character gradually softens to a point which creates a beautiful emotional beat in ‘Waitress’ – one of its more touching.
Staging throughout ‘Waitress’ is fairly minimal throughout, yet smooth and effective for set changes such as the hospital and Jenna’s home. The band off to the side on the stage adds a nice touch, and there’s even a silly fourth-wall break involving one of the band members which gets a good laugh. A few unbalanced sound levels make some lyrics (and even spoken words) hard to hear at times – this may have been an opening night issue which is hopefully fixed for the remainder of the season.
Casting is an all-round success, with Natalie Bassingthwaighte up to the task and Gabriyel Thomas a total stand-out. Special mention as well to Stevie Denton as Lulu, who brings a brief but adorable moment to the show. . . And Elandrah Tavares, who only has a few lines in ‘Waitress’ as a nurse, but absolutely makes them count and then some.
’Waitress’ is a quirky, light-hearted production. Its story is simple, but Sara Bareilles’ music and lyrics give it that sprinkling of sugar (butter, flour) needed to elevate it just that little bit more.
