Review: The Power of the Pie
Waitress is another blockbuster from Actors’ Playhouse
By Tina Wyngate / Photos by Alberto Romeu
I’ve always thought “Waitress” would have won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2016 – if it weren’t for that pesky bit of song and dance by Lin-Manuel Miranda called “Hamilton.” Bad timing aside, “Waitress” is one of the best written musicals in decades – not surprising if you are a fan of singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, who penned both music and lyrics for the songs (though not the book or movie from which the play was born).
Now you can see the Tony-nominated musical in all its glory at the Miracle Theatre, the third musical of the season for Actors’ Playhouse. The Playhouse continues to impress with the quality of its productions. The set designs by Brandon Newton have as many moving parts as a game of Tetris, seamlessly flowing and interlocking as the evening progresses. Kudos are also
due to costume designer Ellis Tillman, choreographer Michael Rader, musical/associate director Stephen Christopher Anthony, and the directing acumen of David Arisco. But in the end, it’s about the voices.
Lindsey Corey is stunning as Jenna, the waitress at the center of the play’s narrative. She is a doe-eyed optimist who focuses on her brilliant pie making, which carries her through a miserable marriage that has long since lost its luster. All throughout the play, she is devising one inventive pie after the next, each one expressing her emotional state at the time. They range from the “Pregnant, Miserable, Self-Pitying Loser Pie” to the “The Pursuit of Happiness Pie.” All come with recipes, from the facetious “add some nuts and hold the banana” for her “I Want to Play Doctor with my Doctor Pie” to more seriously detailed recipes, like bittersweet chocolate with caramel filling for her “I Hate My Husband Pie.” Since its Broadway debut, recipes for the pies of “Waitress” have spread like butter cream online and in print.
Those pies and their allegories are part of the dark humor that makes you laugh, despite the trying circumstances faced by Jenna and her dream to be free of an abusive husband. But what carries the play are the delicious songs, some of them real showstoppers – like “What Baking Can Do” and “She Used to be Mine.” Lindsey Corey’s voice elevates the musical with her incredible vocal range; fellow waitress Becky, played by Kareema Khouri, is also a powerful songstress. Along with the rest of the cast, they bring to life a superb musical score, one that will have you downloading the soundtrack.
For additional comic relief there is the relationship between the third waitress, the spacey Dawn played by Becca Suskauer and her love interest Ogie, played by Nick Cearley. And there are other subplots as well. But the magic is in the music, and Actors’ Playhouse delivers. For those not lucky enough to have seen it on Broadway, “Waitress” is a must-see musical that delivers a delightful evening.
“Waitress”
Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
March 26 – April 20
Wed-Sat. 8 pm, Sun. 3 pm
Tickets $75-$110
actorsplayhouse.org
Love theater? Read our past reviews for more standout performances and local productions.