Review: 'Waitress' the Musical
Review of the Melbourne show, starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rob Mills - based on Adrienne Shelly's indie cult classic 2007 film, released after her tragic death.
The Musical:
Everyone deserves a slice of happiness!
Broadway’s smash-hit musical WAITRESS is baking its way to Australia for the very first time! Inspired by Adrienne Shelly’s beloved film and brought to life by a trailblazing creative team, including a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson, an original, uplifting score by Grammy® winner Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave) and direction by Tony® winner Diane Paulus, WAITRESS is the irresistible hit about resilience, friendship and hope.
Starring acclaimed powerhouse Natalie Bassingthwaighte as Jenna alongside show-stopping Gabriyel Thomas as Becky, theatre favourite Mackenzie Dunn as Dawn, with charismatic stage and screen star Rob Mills as Dr. Pomatter. Joining them will be the sensational Keanu Gonzalez who will play Earl, the endearing Gareth Isaac as Ogie, audience favourite John Xintavelonis as Cal, the brilliant Annie Aitken as Jenna Alternate and legend of Australian entertainment John Waters as Joe.
This heartwarming and empowering musical tells the story of Jenna, a small-town waitress and expert pie maker who longs to escape her rocky marriage and start again. When a baking contest, an unexpected new romance and the support of her fellow waitresses offer her a taste of change, Jenna discovers that the secret ingredient to happiness might be closer than she ever imagined. WAITRESS has captivated audiences around the world and is “a slice of 5-star musical pie” – The Times.
The Movie:
My history with Waitress goes way back; starting with the 2007 Adrienne Shelly movies it’s based on, starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.
It was a little indie film (back when those were a thing; not a “died on streaming because nobody watched it,” little indie - but an honest-to-goodness; “am I the only person on the planet who has seen this film that I hunted down because I am a fan of the 2002 show Firefly and Nathan Fillion?!”). I loved it so much; it was quirky and tender, sweet and salacious.
But the next I heard about this film’s evolution was 2020; when musical theatre enthusiasts were so excited that the stage musical adaptation of Adrienne Shelly’s film was touring Australia.
Finally!
Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler with Paula Vogel writing the book, Sara Bareilles writing the music and lyrics, and direction by Diane Paulus - it was created in 2015, and toured the US in 2016. Tony-nominated but didn’t win any - but had won audience hearts, and in 2020 it was Australia’s turn to get this critically-acclaimed musical based on a modest-budget film that had exceeded expectations (Shelly wrote, directed and starred in the film with a $1.5 million budget, that earned over $23 million in global box office receipts).
And then 2020 hit. Covid cancelled the tour and stopped the musical in its tracks both here, and overseas.
By then I’d purchased the soundtrack (with original cast - Jessie Mueller in the lead role of Jenna) and given I was already so familiar with the film and plot, I very quickly immersed myself and got caught in the musical’s deliciousness - it fast became a favourite, and I felt the Covid blow of its cancellation more than ever.
The Documentary:
Then in 2021 a documentary came out; Adrienne.
Through candid conversations with family, friends and colleagues, Andy Ostroy celebrates the life and work of his late wife -- actress and filmmaker Adrienne Shelly.
Unbeknownst to me, the creator of Waitress the film - the epically talented writer/director/actor who had such a singular vision and voice - was murdered in November 2006, before it was even released.
Her body was discovered by her husband - Andy Ostroy - at her West Village office, where she’d been hard at work on Waitress ahead of its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January the following year.
After initially being ruled a suicide by the NYPD, Ostroy insisted that his wife was happy in her personal and professional lives - she’d been inspired to write Waitress while pregnant with their daughter, and she was preparing for its critical release - he pushed for further investigation of the crime-scene.
Eventually through evidence discovered from a nearby construction site, a 19-year-old construction worker from Ecuador called Diego Pillco confessed to the crime - both of Adrienne’s murder, and staging it as a suicide.
Adrienne tells not so much the story of Adrienne Shelly’s death, but her life - and the crowning jewel of her theatrical and filmic career, putting her pen to paper and taking the director’s chair in the creation of Waitress. The documentary interviews everyone of the original film cast, about how shell-shocked they were over Adrienne’s murder, and the dedication they felt to do justice to the film that came out posthumously after her death.
The documentary also covers how the musical version came about - thanks in large part to Adrienne’s husband, Andy Ostroy, who kept talking about her brilliance and artistic genius. The musical very much feels like an extension of what Adrienne could have achieved in her life, had she lived.
It’s the very definition of bittersweet - that we have this incredibly rich film text that has translated so beautifully to stage and music, so inspired by her own life and unique voice musing on motherhood and mistakes, love and friendship … Adrienne left me a puddle of tears, not only for what was lost but what she has kept giving audiences, even when her own life and creative spirit was cut short.
It was also after the documentary that it felt like Waitress the musical got renewed interest (especially after the paused Covid years of interruption) and in 2023 a taping of the musical came out (with songwriter Sara Bareilles in the lead, opposite Drew Gehling’s Dr. Pomatter).
The Review:
To say I went into Waitress the Australian version with high-expectations is an understatement. I am passionate about this movie and musical, its hard-won story and tragic background that folds so fatefully into the messages within the music too - but ultimately uplifts and celebrates women’s stories, especially.
And I was not disappointed.
I took my Mum and Auntie to see it with me, and we were all three in puddles by The End.
Jenna’s best friends at Joe’s Diner are played by Gabriyel Thomas and Mackenzie Dunn, Keanua Gonzalez plays her lousy husband and Rob Mills is Dr. Pomatter. And John Waters plays grump diner owner, Joe - in a role that just goes to prove age truly is just a number.
The cast are phenomenal - I particularly loved Gareth Isaac as “Ogie,” the new paramour of one of Jenna’s waitress friends.
There’s real warmth and camaraderie amongst them; you feel like you’ve been dropped into the middle of their long history and firm friendship.
Mills and Bassingthwaighte have goofy chemistry (which is true to their characters) - that can switch to steamy in a second - I really love this unconventional love story, and how their portrayal highlighted how ‘play’ and kindness have been missing from Jenna’s own marriage.
I also loved the set itself - the backdrop of a lonely dirt road, flat horizon, telephone lines and a constantly changing sky (from blue to sunsets and sunrises of pinks, orange and purple hues), was so homely and emphasised the mundane, but the flick of a switch to that magic sky sunset, beautifully showed how this is a story about the ordinary becoming extraordinary too.
The Casting:
Australian actress and musician Natalie Bassingthwaighte is in the lead role as Jenna - Bassingthwaighte best known for her roles in Neighbours, and fronting her electro-pop band, Rogue Traders.
Now; I need to touch on a little bit of controversy here … Natalie Bassingthwaighte is 50-years-old. Jenna in the musical has a storyline about an unwanted pregnancy she’s going through with. A few people online were quite cruel about Bassingthwaighte’s casting, playing a pregnant woman (Keri Russell was 31-years-old at the time of filming Waitress the movie, Adrienne Shelly was 37/38 when she was pregnant and inspired to write the screenplay). Yes, technicalities aside - Bassingthwaighte is older than the intended character. But she doesn’t look it, by any means.
‘Ridiculous’: Natalie Bassingthwaighte faces backlash from fans over role - Talented Australian star Natalie Bassingthwaighte is facing backlash on social media after her latest role was announced.
One of my favourite online theatre reviewers from the UK - MickeyJoTheatre - actually did a great video, touching on this very controversy and accusations of “stunt casting” (the practice of hiring a well-known celebrity, influencer, or public figure—often with little acting or relevant experience—to fill a role in film, television, or theatre);
At the 15:11 mark he talks specifically about the backlash that Bassingthwaighte received over her casting in Waitress.
What I think MickeyJo touched on brilliantly was that; Bassingthwaighte isn’t “stunt casting” in the traditional sense, because she has experience in singing, acting, dancing, and musical-theatre (she’s appeared in Chicago, Jagged Little Pill, Rent, Footloose, and so many more!). And he also called out this idea that age should discount an actor from a role based on precedence of who else has originated or starred. I also appreciated that he shamed anyone who was speculating about women’s bodies in terms of fertility journeys - which is incredibly insensitive and cruel.
And he’s 100% right - I can assure you, Bassingthwaighte isn’t just believable in the role - she nails it, and is brilliant! And I am picky when it comes to this musical, because I love it so much. I in fact prefer Jessie Mueller’s version of the soundtrack, as opposed to Sara Bareilles’s for instance (which was made into the musical movie recording).
And I am here to tell you; Nat Bas is amazing in this role, so much so that she moved me to tears - and particularly in her rendition of my favourite song from the musical, She Used to Be Mine.
The one concession I’ll give to the casting “drama” actually has nothing to do with Bassingthwaighte, but is the fact that - according to people who auditioned - the original casting-call for the Australian tour wanted women aged 20-30 for the role of Jenna. I can imagine it’s incredibly disheartening and frustrating for them, to feel like they’ve been set up to fail in that way - when the specifications are so wildly different from who was cast (and that’s the production’s fault, to be clear.)
Maybe it was “stunt” casting insofar as; Bassingthwaighte is a known celebrity and has a very good following. But it must be hard to feel like the casting callout was giving new and young actors a fighting chance, only to fall back on a celebrity in the lead. For that, I sympathise - even if that celebrity-factor has ensured the musical got more publicity and has leveraged more success for its Australian run, and for the general public of theatre-goers.
I think Bassingthwaighte was also really earnest in discussing this with Kate Langbroek on No Filter, that (yes, even in her 50s!) she was moved by this story and dreamt of playing that part. And you know what? She does the role such justice - she should be proud to know that she did Adrienne Shelly, Sara Bareilles, and Jenna a very good turn!
The Verdict:
Go and see this musical while it’s in Melbourne (or Sydney, from August) because it’s magnificent.
You can either begin by listening to the soundtrack, watching Adrienne Shelly’s original film - or just go in cold. Either way; you’ll be moved to tears, and hum the soundtrack for days after.
It’s a softer, more contemporary musical than we’ve been seeing explode lately - a little diner, in a small-town, and a woman with humble wishes and wants. But wow, is it all the more powerful for those tiny intricacies. Kinda like how you get such deliciousness from the simple ingredients of sugar, butter, flour …
Thank you for this review, Danielle! Totally should have gone to Waitress instead of the one we saw …