The reviews for Waitress are in, and this new musical offers a tasty blend of savory and sweet. Based on the 2007 film of the same name, the musical has serious subject matter at its heart – loveless love and spousal abuse – but the creative pair of Sara Bareilles (score) and Jessie Nelson (book) offer just enough sugarcoating to make it feel more like a musical comedy. The real reason to add Waitress to your list, though, is to catch the incomparable, Tony Award-winner Jessie Mueller in the leading role of Jenna. Her authentic soulfulness shines, despite some of the shortcomings of the music and dialogue. If you’re into heartfelt musical theatre, baking, the 2007 film, Sara Bareilles, Jessie Mueller, or all of the above, you’ll likely have a nice night at the diner.
NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW OF WAITRESS
“Sugar. Butter. Flour.” The words are crooned like a lullaby intermittently throughout the musical “Waitress,” bringing a warm blanket of comfort to the troubled central character, stuck in an unhappy marriage and essentially working two jobs, baking pies for the diner where she also puts on an apron to wait tables…
TIME OUT NEW YORK REVIEW OF WAITRESS
One’s sorely tempted to praise the delightful new musical “Waitress” using lots of bakery metaphors. After all, its hero is a pastry genius with relationship woes named Jenna (Jessie Mueller). She’s a perky Southern gal who can confect a mouthwatering Mermaid Marshamallow Pie but can’t measure the right…
DEADLINE REVIEW OF WAITRESS
I don’t think anyone, hearing that lyric from “Waitress,” could escape feeling a rush of sadness and exhilaration. Sadness at the line’s multiple meanings; exhilaration in the velvet, heartfelt beauty Jessie Mueller imbues “She Used To Be Mine” with, in the breath-bating 11 o’clock number from this gem of a show…
VARIETY REVIEW OF WAITRESS
“Waitress” owes its sweetness to the mouth-watering goodness of Jessie Mueller. As a diner waitress named Jenna, Mueller is such a honey bun, she melts us like the mounds of butter that make Jenna’s homemade pies so luscious. The musical resorts to comic overkill to create characters based on Adrienne Shelly’s…
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER REVIEW OF WAITRESS
Jessie Mueller won a lead actress Tony Award two years ago playing the title role in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. So it’s fitting that her return to Broadway, with perhaps an even more transcendent performance, should be in Waitress, the thoroughly charming musical theater debut of composer-lyricist Sara…
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