Tony Tuesday: WAITRESS
This week we’re only going back a few years for a slice of everyone’s favourite musical pie (sweet that is, don’t worry Mrs Lovett, we got you). This week’s TONY Tuesday is:
‘She Used To Be Mine’ from Waitress at the 2016 TONY Awards ceremony.
Waitress is a musical adaptation of the 2007 film of the same name. The story follows waitress and baker Jenna, who becomes pregnant whilst trapped in an abusive relationship. Jenna then begins an affair with her doctor and enters a baking competition, in order to win its grand prize and escape her troubles. The show made history by having the first all-female creative team, with a book by Jessie Nelson, music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, direction by Diane Paulus and choreography from Lorin Latarro.
The production was green lit by producers Barry and Fran Weissler in 2013, originally with Paula Vogel attached to write the book, alongside Paulus as director and Bareilles as score-writer. Vogel withdrew from the project in early 2014 and in late 2014, the production was announced to have a run at A.R.T in 2015 with Jessie Nelson coming on board to write the book. Nelson got permission from original script writer and film director Adrienne Shelley’s late husband to use some of her unfinished scripts to really ensure the correct voice for the piece was found. The production opened in A.R.T in August 2015 for a month-long run. The show was directed by Paulus, with choreography by Chase Brock, set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Suttirat Anne Larlarb, sound by Jonathan Deans, musical direction by Nadia DiGiallonardo and lighting design by Kenneth Posner. Tickets for the run sold out. Jessie Mueller starred as Jenna, with Drew Gehling as Dr. Pomatter, Joe Tippett as Earl, Jeanna De Waal as Dawn, Keala Settle as Becky and Jeremey Morse as Ogie.
The production opened on Broadway on 24 April, 4 days before the eligibility deadline for the 2016 TONY awards. For the Broadway run, the show underwent changes including the replacement of Brock by Lorin Latarro as choreographer and Posner by Christopher Akerlind as lighting designer. Due to the amount of baking required within the direction of the production, Stacy Donnelly and Dawn Mayo were hired as consultants to make the scenes look as realistic as possible, teaching the cast how to work with, and roll out pie dough. For the Broadway run at the Brooks Atkinson, Kimiko Glenn joined to take-over the role of Dawn, Nick Cordero took over the role of Earl and Christopher Fitzgerald took over the role of Ogie.
Waitress received mixed to positive reviews from critics, but was a massive hit with audiences, breaking several box office records during its run. The production was nominated for four 2016 TONY Awards but failed to win any. The production closed in January 2020. In May 2021, the show’s producers announced a remount of the original production to help reopen Broadway with Bareilles returning to the role of Jenna. The musical re-opened at The Ethel Barrymore Theatre on 2 September 2021, for a limited engagement until 9 January 2022. A new pie to commemorate Nick Cordero, the ‘Live your life’ pie, who lost his life during the pandemic was added to the menu, becoming a permanent part of the musical for all future productions. A national tour launched in 2017 with Desi Oakley playing the role of Jenna, which ran for just shy of two years. A second non-equity tour ran from the end of 2019 into 2020 however was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The West End production opened at The Adelphi Theatre for previews from 8 February 2019. Katharine McPhee, who had previously played the role on Broadway, opened as Jenna alongside David Hunter as Pomatter, 30 Rock star Jack McBrayer as Ogie, Marisha Wallace as Becky and Laura Baldwin as Dawn. In June 2019, Lucie Jones took over the role of Jenna from McPhee. In a show business turn of events, Desi Oakley reprised her role for a fortnight, being flown over due to Jones and both her understudies falling ill. In January 2020, Sarah Bareilles and Gavin Creel took over the roles of Jenna and Dr Pomatter for a limited engagement. However, the pair had to fly out post the 14 March enforced closure, due to travel restrictions by the pandemic. The show was set to close on 4 July 2020 however, due to the extension of the UK lockdown, the show’s final performance was 14 March 2020. The production had already been announced to tour the UK beginning in November 2020. However, this again was postponed and eventually opened at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 4 September 2021. The production stars Lucie Jones reprising her role of Jenna, Matt Willis as Dr. Pomatter, Sandra Marvin as Becky, George Crawford as Ogie and Evelyn Hoskins as Becky (Hoskins had also played the role in the West End production taking over from Laura Baldwin.)
Waitress has also spawned international productions in Manila, Tokyo, Sydney, Buenos Aires and The Netherlands, with productions set to open in Copenhagen and Warsaw.
Besties, I’m sure you all have, but if you haven’t you need to listen to this truly beautiful score.
Cast recording available on streaming services.
FACTS:
Music: Sara Bareilles
Lyrics: Sara Bareilles
Book: Jessie Nelson
Theatre: The Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Run: 25 March 2016 – 5 January 2020 (33 previews and 1,544 regular performances)
TONYS:
(NOMINATED) Best Musical, Best Original Score – Sara Bareilles, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – Jessie Mueller, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Christopher Fitzgerald.
OLIVIERS:
(NOMINATED) Best New Musical, Original Score or New Orchestrations – Sara Bareilles
