Waitress: The Musical
A waitress and expert pie-maker dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage.
Critics Sentiment
Jenna performs the emotional ballad She Used to be Mine
Jenna retreats to her baking station to express her feelings again
The score rises sharply from 6.5 during the repetitive mid-show baking sequences to 8.5 at the She Used to be Mine ballad, a swing of 2.0 points representing the show's most dramatic shift from audience fatigue to emotional peak.
Audience sentiment for Waitress: The Musical follows a gently undulating arc that dips in the middle as the baking metaphors and samey pop-inflected songs wear on some viewers, before surging powerfully at the She Used to be Mine ballad and sustaining warmth through a genuinely moving finale. The trio of waitresses and the Joe and Jenna dynamic earn consistent praise throughout, while the domestic abuse storyline and awkward live-to-close-up editing draw the most pointed criticism. Overall the production is received as a joyful, emotionally resonant filmed stage performance that rewards fans of the musical and converts many newcomers.
Full cast
Sara Bareilles
Jenna Hunterson
Charity Angél Dawson
Becky
Caitlin Houlahan
Dawn Louise Pinkett
Drew Gehling
Dr. Jim Pomatter
Dakin Matthews
Joe
Eric Anderson
Cal
Joe Tippett
Earl Hunterson
Christopher Fitzgerald
Ogie (Oklahoma) Anhorn
Anastacia McCleskey
Nurse Norma
Molly Jobe
Mother
Stephanie Torns
Francine
Nora Winer
Lulu
Matt Deangelis
Ensemble
Henry Gottfried
Ensemble
Max Kumangai
Ensemble
Tyrone Davis Jr.
Ensemble
Andrew Fitch
Ensemble
Emily Koch
Ensemble
Nyla Watson
Ensemble
Crew
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