Perhaps love is like a pie. It’s comforting, fluffy, messy and sometimes forbidden.

When Joe’s Diner offers 27 varieties of pie including ‘White Knuckle Cream Pie’ and ‘In the Dark, Dark Chocolate Pie,’ love can get complicated.

Fathom Events presents a heartwarming and meaningful musical comedy, Waitress the Musical, a show that proves the greatest secrets in life might just be found in the kitchen.  A lively production that made a splash on both Broadway and on a national tour, this filmed stage version is particularly special because it stars Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, the woman behind the music and lyrics to the production.  Waitress the Musical boasts an all female production team and is based on the book by Jessie Nelson and screenplay by the late and great Adrienne Shelly.  This film is dedicated to Shelly’s memory. 

With a cast of colorful and comical characters and based on the 2007 film of the same name starring Keri Russell, Waitress the Musical film version is serving its best at select movie theatres for a limited time and will soon be available for streaming and video on demand.  The show has some mature themes.  Click here for more information and tickets.

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From a bright neon sign and red chrome booths to clever choreography that brings diner dancing a fresh, new meaning, the majority of Waitress is set inside the vintage and picturesque Joe’s Pie Diner as patrons and musicians interact onstage. Impressive songs range from catchy to reflective and numbers such as When He Sees Me and Opening Up are sure to stay with the audience long after the show is over. 

Full of heart, what Waitress the Musical achieves is a delicate balance of the sweetness and realism, delving into the lives of a group of dynamic characters who dream of a better life.  Sara Bareilles depicts diner baker Jenna who finds herself pregnant and falling in love with her doctor.  Jenna expresses her thoughts on life through the humorous titles she deems to Joe’s Diner Pie of the Day.

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It is impressive to watch mezzo soprano singer-songwriter Bareilles take the stage though it is sometimes difficult to separate her from her music. Sara Bareilles delivers a natural and inspiring performance as Jenna with her offbeat daydreams among the most memorable highlights of the film.  Bareilles depicts Jenna’s complex web of emotions with dark humor and a spark of hope.  Her smooth and familiar vocals offer an emotional rendition of A Soft Place to Land and She Used to Be Mine. 

Bareilles as Jenna shares playful chemistry and beautiful harmony with compassionate and mysterious Drew Gehling as Dr. Pomatter in Bad Idea and the tender You Matter to Me.  Lanky and a bit neurotic, Gehling doesn’t immediately seem so suave, but his compassion and quirky persona give him a fascinating charm.  Dressed in a plaid shirt, worn jeans, and an acoustic guitar, Joe Tippett as Earl is manipulative, possessive, and at times chilling, especially for the rock tinged number, ‘You Will Still be Mine.’  Tippett is also ironically Sara Bareilles’s real life fiancé.

With oversized earrings, wild hair, and tiger prints, Charity Angel Dawson offers a great deal of comic relief as outspoken, wise cracking, and supportive waitress Becky.  Spirited and direct, Becky captivates for the number, I Didn’t Plan It and her onstage charisma will have the audience hanging on her every word including her sarcastic and priceless reactions to her surroundings.

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In bright red glasses, Caitlin Houlahan portrays Dawn with her own endearing comedic timing and shines as a yearning bundle of nerves for the catchy tune, When He Sees Me.  Imaginative and shy while she rhythmically shoots ketchup into the mustard bottle, Dawn awkwardly deems herself ‘a woman of many passions.’  With Christopher Fitzgerald as scene stealing Ogie, they are a comedic force to be reckoned with.  Gleeful and goofy yet determined, Fitzgerald shows the power of love has sharp comedic rhythm in a bungle of flawless and unsuppressed energy.

Boasting a wonderful laugh and a curmudgeonly personality, Dakin Matthews portrays difficult customer and diner owner, Joe.  A darkly comical storyteller, Joe’s conversations with Jenna are frank, open, and offer sage advice.  Take it from an Old Man is tender, paternal, and moving number. Matthews as Joe also captures the uplifting spirit of the production as he remarks, ‘Baking a pie is a magical experience.’

With a cast of colorful and comical characters and based on the 2007 film of the same name starring Keri Russell, Waitress the Musical is serving its best at select movie theatres for a limited time and will soon be available for streaming and video on demand. The show has some mature themes.  Click here for more information and tickets.