THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jessie Mueller wows with her own brand of pies in WAITRESS

0804_waitress-mainTonight Waitress, the anticipated and crowd-pleasing new musical based on the movie of the same name about the challenges faced by a pie-making waitress, opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. After a successful tryout at American Repertory Theater in Boston, the musical – which features a likeable score by pop artist Sara Bareilles and stars the versatile Jessie Mueller (a Tony-winner for her beautiful portrayal of Carole King in Beautiful) – bravely arrives on Broadway in the season of Hamilton. The score by Mrs. Bareilles, served well by a wonderful onstage band, is an appealing if somewhat limited concoction of folk, pop, and Broadway. Jessie Nelson’s book gets the job done; I particularly took to the incidental pseudo-surreal pie-making segments that are sprinkled throughout the musical. These interludes add much-needed texture and unexpected depth to a story we’ve all seen and heard before.

Diane Paulus’s good-looking (the fluid, efficient sets are by Scott Pask), overly kinetic direction, which brings to mind John Tiffany’s ensemble-driven, movement-based work in the Tony-winning Once, is somewhat at odds with the simple story. But it’s Ms. Mueller’s star turn as Jenna, the conflicted waitress at the show’s center, that’s the main draw – and she doesn’t disappoint. She once again proves why she is one of our finest leading ladies in a generous performance of great sensitivity and gravitas. Her later scenes are quietly devastating and her big 11 o’clock ballad (“She Used to Be Mine”) is simply heartbreaking. She’s a heroine you can’t help but cheer for. Keala Settle and Kimiko Glenn, as Jenna’s fellow waitresses and confidants, give broad performances that contrast well with Ms. Mueller’s grounded presence. As the men in Jenna’s life, the handsome Drew Gehling nails the awkward doctor act, and the reliable Nick Cordero does a commendable job in the thankless role of the emotionally abusive husband. Christopher Fitzgerald, in a small supporting role, almost the steals the show with his inspired comic antics.

RECOMMENDED

 

WAITRESS
Broadway, Musical
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run

Categories: Broadway, Theater

Leave a Reply