Review of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre’s Presentation of Waitress
I was first introduced to the Broadway musical Waitress while watching the television airing of the Tony Awards. I had turned on the show to see how well Hamilton was doing when I stumbled upon a musical medley that transitioned to Sara Bareilles at a grand piano singing the opening to an achingly sorrowful song I had never heard. Mid-song, the camera shifted to Jessie Mueller in a floral yellow dress sitting on an old couch. By the time Mueller finished the song, my face was streaked with tears, and I was filled with the awe of happening upon something life-changing and sacred.
I had just experienced the marrying of the perfect song (She Used to Be Mine) with the perfect voice (Jessie Mueller). I immediately shared the performance with my wife, then my kids, then friends and extended family, and then anyone willing to read my blog or listen to me praise the voice of Jessie Mueller and the writing genius of Sara Bareilles. A few years later, one of my daughters sang the song at a high school event. I cried then, too.
Jessie Mueller’s voice is so thoroughly imprinted on me that I find myself resisting other vocal attempts to capture the lead role of Jenna in Waitress. I’ve watched Sara Bareilles play Jenna, and I enjoyed experiencing her interpretation of her own musical. However, Mueller has always been my gold standard. Just as Topol will always be Fiddler on the Roof’s Tevye for me, Mueller will always be Jenna. Or at least this is what I thought before I experienced Kerstin Anderson’s portrayal of Jenna last night.
Let me say this as simple as possible. If you want to see a production of the musical Waitress that is as good or better than the original, then buy a ticket to The 5th Avenue Theatre’s presentation of Waitress. What I experienced last night was the best of musical theater, right here in our own backyard.
Kerstin Anderson’s Jenna is perfect. Her vocal range and acting are breathtaking. Her performance is everything you could want from an actor. She turns great material into a great show, and the rest of the cast shines along with her. The night is full of laughter, tears, heartache, lots of really dysfunctional relationships, and joy. The music, choreography, set design, lighting, acting, singing, and directing all brought me joy.
The only parts of the musical I struggle with are the issues of how the show addresses relational power differentials, marital infidelity, and motherhood. Still, I have no desire to address these issues in my review. You can make up your own mind about whether or not childbearing fixes or intensifies one’s problems in life. Feel free to talk with your friends about appropriate doctor/patient interactions. I personally find some of the relational choices in the musical problematic. Even so, these complexities cannot keep me from thoroughly loving Sara Bareilles’ almost-perfect music and lyrics, performed almost to perfection.
I apologize for not highlighting cast members other than the lead in this review. I’m under a bit of a time crunch, and I realize that if I highlighted one of the other cast members, I would need to talk extensively about every cast member’s excellent contribution. That would have been a review too long for my current time constraints. What I can write and say confidently is the cast should be incredibly proud of their work. The 5th Avenue Theatre’s presentation of Waitress is one of the best shows you will ever see in Seattle or on Broadway.
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