We’ve been waiting a long time for WAITRESS to get to the Wales Millennium Centre, with the usual delays and reschedules we’ve all experienced. Now it’s finally here, I can tell you it is very much a worthwhile wait.
There are some shows you anticipate for so long, that occasionally the delivery isn’t quite as you imagined, with Waitress however, it serves up treat after treat, and just when you think you’re full, you manage one extra slice of musical genius.
When the show first had its outing on Broadway it claimed to be the first musical with an all-female led creative team, the same applies now for this UK tour.
If you’re coming to this review or indeed Waitress as an absolute newbie, let me fill you in on the story.
Our main character Jenna (CHELSEA HALFPENNY) is a waitress but also an expert pie-maker in your typical American diner. Life at home is far from pleasant with a violent abusive husband, who helps himself to all her tips. Her only source of comfort is her workmates and the pie-making, until a new doctor (also married) arrives in town and Jenna finds him sweeter than a slice of her cherry favourite.
Oh one other thing, she’s pregnant and doesn’t really accept her impending motherhood, something we found refreshingly honest in a musical.
This isn’t your regular wholesome story, filled with lovely gentle characters to take us on a musical journey. Waitress is real life and as such we spend two hours plus with deeply flawed, sometimes unpleasant, but also occasionally sweet and tender people, a bit like all our lives I suppose. And that is what makes the show so different and uplifting, we can all relate to someone on stage and find hope in the darkest of situations.
Don’t get me wrong though, Waitress is a musical treat, an absolute blast and really funny, which of course it would be with the hand of SARA BAREILLES composing the music.
Before we go any further, time to pause for a slice of apple pie, a cuppa and to see what the audience at the Wales Millennium Centre thought of last nights performance. We also met the girls who have seen the show multiple times, with plans to see it many more.
Waitress audiences are like no other. Their dedication to the show is incredible, and from what we saw last night, the performers bond to their fans is equally special.
It’s the music which is very much centre stage with some of the most catchy, upbeat songs you’ll hear anywhere, performed by a top class cast and band. Chelsea as Jenna is a real joy and very easy to warm to. Vocally she’s incredible, with a performance of ‘You Used To Be Mine‘ which will give you goosebumps – for me it was the stand-out performance of the night.
The rest of the cast deliver some mighty fine performances too. WENDY MAE BROWN is Becky and EVELYN HOSKINS is Dawn, two other waitresses who bring some light relief to proceedings and some great vocals along the way. The bond between the three women is so good and everything you’d hope life in a diner would be.
Becky isn’t the most subtle waitress you’ll meet and regularly dishes up some fruity lines, occasionally related to her sex, or lack of sex life. ‘It’s so quiet down there you can hear an echo‘ had us smiling for the rest of the evening. Dawn too has her moments in the spotlight and delivers an – well, shall we say an ‘orgasmic performance‘. Enough said I think!
So, that brings us to the love interest in the shape of Dr Pomatter, the good looking doc who flips Jenna’s life like an overcooked pancake. DAVID HUNTER is no stranger to the role which became clear from the massive cheer he received, and his portrayal of the character. The Doc is awkward and lacks confidence but also funny and as sweet as apple pie.
You can see why Jenna would fall for Dr P, he’s everything her husband isn’t. David’s take on the character is magnificent, you like him from the get-go and are rooting for him to – well, no spoilers here, but needless to say you are with him all the way.
In a show filled with familiar faces, I do want to mention MICHAEL STARKE who plays Old Joe. It was so good to see Michael on stage away from his many TV roles in Brookside (Sinbad), Benidorm, Coronation Street and The Responder.
His television personas may have us crying with laughter but catch him in the show performing ‘Take It From An Old Man‘ and he’ll have you properly crying – great job Michael.
I feel we really need to give a shout out to the entire company, they each bring something special to the Waitress family and are a key part to this beautifully written, cleverly staged and brilliantly choreographed musical.
I say choreographed because real ingredients are used on stage, in fact they become a bit of a metaphor for Jenna’s life. You will be saying ‘Sugar, Butter, Flour‘ as you leave the theatre.
The rest of the cast are: GEORGE CRAWFORD as Ogie (really funny), TAMLYN HENDERSON as Earl and CHRISTOPHER D HUNT as Cal. The company also includes Monique Ashe-Palmer, Amelia Atherton, Donal Brennan, Aimée Fisher, Scarlet Gabriel, Nathanael Landskroner, Charlie Martin (also the Dance Captain), Liam McHugh, Olivia Mitchell, Ben Morris and Brian Roland.
The songs are funny, clever and heartbreaking, in equal measures. Sara Bareilles has the incredible knack of lining up lyrics, music and emotions and delivering them right where it counts. It does however take a special cast to carry them off and this current run of Waitress has just that.
The band too are an integral part of the show and are on stage all the way through. It’s a nice touch having them set in the corner of the diner, it really adds to the overall vibe. On the subject of the set, stunning is the word. From the diner to delivery room it all works seamlessly and looks magnificent on the Donald Gordon stage.
This multi-talented band are led by Musical Director ELLEN CAMPBELL (piano). Assistant MD is DENISE CROWLEY (piano), OLIVER COPELAND is on bass and double bass, OLLIE BOORMAN plays the drums, ALEX CRAWFORD on guitar and ROLAND PALMER on cello and guitar.
Chelsea is a great actress but as a singer she also delivers the songs with such beautiful emotional clarity. We also get a helping funny and sexy too from Wendy and Evelyn.
The show is all about friendship and love, with a little bit of self-worth thrown into the mix, and after the two years we’ve been through, we reckon WAITRESS is just what we need served up in our theatres right now.
Incidentally, see the pie written on the board? Don’t we all want a piece of Deep Dish, Blueberry Bacon……..
WAITRESS is a little slice of musical heaven, perfectly baked and served up at the Wales Millennium Centre all this week through to Saturday 4th June. Performances are at 7:30pm each evening with a 2:30pm matinee tomorrow (Thursday) and again on Saturday (Audio Described). To find out more and get your tickets, go here. WAITRESS
You can check out our original feature HERE.
Waitress was inspired by the 2007 movie, which didn’t do very well on release but has since gone on top become a bit of a cult classic. The musical however was a hit from day one with both audiences and critics.
As for the awards, it’s more a case of what hasn’t Waitress picked up over the years. It was nominated for four Outer Critics’ Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical; two Drama League Award nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical; six Drama Desk nominations, including Outstanding Musical; and four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical.
Then of course you have you have the Grammy® award-winning Sara Bareilles who wrote the music, a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson and direction by Tony® Award-winner Diane Paulus.
