A musical about a woman trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive husband while pregnant with a baby she doesn’t want while working a thankless job may not seem like a feel-good, emotional triumph, yet that is exactly what “Waitress” is, and by the end it will have you smiling and cheering.
The musical, featuring music and lyrics by Grammy winner and Tony nominee Sara Bareilles, is now playing at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, the first Midwest company to produce the Broadway hit. Directed by Katie Spelman, it’s based on the 2007 movie of the same name that was written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, who also played a supporting role in the film.
While the movie, included by IndieWire in its 2024 list of “Best American Independent Films of the 21st Century,” is definitely good on its own, the musical gives more depth to the characters, along with more laughs.
That’s not to say that everything about “Waitress” is sweet. Like the pies made by lead character Jenna, played beautifully by Michelle Lauto in her Paramount debut, there is definitely a tart flavor too — mostly provided by her possessive husband Earl, played very effectively by Ian Paul Custer.
Unlike in the movie, in the musical we learn that Jenna witnessed her mother was in a similar relationship and sadly, like so many victims of domestic abuse, finds herself trapped in her own cycle as an adult. Earl is the black cloud that blocks the sun in Jenna’s life, even as she holds onto hope that her yet-to-be-born daughter can avoid that type of relationship — another point the musical addresses better than the movie.
The musical features a rotating stage that alternates between Joe’s Diner and Pie Shop, the small-town business where Jenna works; the living room of the home she shares with Earl, and the office of her married obstetrician Dr. Pomatter. The first act focuses mostly on Jenna’s work life and the marvelous pies she makes, pies that provide her hope that she can enter and win a contest to get money to finally leave Earl. It introduces us to Dr. Pomatter and ends with the two kissing — beginning an affair that is central to the second act.
While both Jenna and her doctor are married, and both the characters and audience both know the relationship cannot provide her salvation, we root for it nevertheless because we just want Jenna to have someone who allows her, as she sings to her unborn baby in one scene, to say “things that matter to someone.”
Jenna’s fellow waitresses Dawn (Kelly Felthous) and Becky (Teresa LaGamba) provide much of the hilarity. Dawn is a peculiar woman who hasn’t found love in a long time, until meeting Ogie, a fellow nerd played by Jackson Evans, who almost steals the show. Rounding out the main cast is Jonah Winston as Cal, the line cook and grouchy boss at Joe’s Diner, and owner Joe, played by Ron Rains, who provides both a voice of reason and a special surprise late in the show.
The show features some racy language and sexual innuendo that probably make it advisable to keep children at home, but mostly is a fun tale of an underdog that you cannot help but admire. While domestic abuse is a serious subject without any humor, the musical laughs at the absurdity of the daily situations the characters find themselves in rather than the way Earl treats Jenna. The ending may be a simplistic fantasy but is actually refreshing in a world of too many productions that are overly didactic. Simply put, “Waitress” is a triumph and immensely enjoyable.