Nothing sends shivers down one’s spine like live theater, and “Waitress: The Musical” is another film musical that keeps the best seat in the house while maintaining the theatrical feel. Sara Bareilles, who penned the sultry lyrics for the adaption, is the star of this emotional and raunchy play that alternates between being sweet and hilarious.
“Waitress,” which was based on Keri Russell’s 2007 film, garnered a hefty tray full of Tony Award nominations in 2016, only to meet an unhappy end when it collided with the “Hamilton” buzzsaw.
The latter’s production onDisney+, fittingly, set off a chain reaction of plays and filmed musicals making their way to streaming platforms, including Apple’s “Come From Away,” two dazzling instances of the genre.
The film adaptation of the musical “Waitress,” which has a five-day theatrical run, doesn’t quite reach those heights, but it does so quite near and soars at points. For instance, Bareilles deserves and receives a standing ovation toward the middle of the play when she performs the emotional centerpiece of the musical, “She Used to Be Mine.”
The center of the story is found in Bareilles’s portrayal of Jenna, whose friendship with her coworkers at the neighborhood diner, Charity Angél Dawson and Caitlin Houlahan, helps her get through her cruel and abusive husband, Joe Tippett.
Jenna is so dismayed to learn that she might be pregnant—the result of a wild night—but the unwanted event does introduce her to Drew Gehling, an awkward doctor, with whom she has an affair. Add that to her list of dubious decisions, which the two openly discuss in the song “Bad Idea.”
Thanks to her late mother, Jenna also has a talent for baking pies. She intends to exploit her talent to win her freedom by entering a competition and using the winnings to flee. If she feels like she has nothing to cling to except that, then that’s a sign of the desperation that gives “Waitress” such poignancy.
The musical’s more theatrical elements, like Christopher Fitzgerald’s eccentric suitor, are obviously intended for an in-person audience and run the danger of being a touch exaggerated when portrayed on TV.
However, the production manages to retain most of its attractions, including Bareilles’ golden pair of singing pipes, and makes the transition in a month that also boasts two movie musicals, “Wonka” and “The Color Purple,” which is also a movie turned into a musical. Even if “Waitress,” like “Hamilton” and “Come From Away,” is still definitely best experienced live, attending this event presentation seems like a smart choice.
Theaters in the US will host “Waitress: The Musical” from December 7–11.
