Waitress (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsMember Reviews (4,967)
See it if A familiar story well told with really great music & singers. Moving & poignant. Jessie is superb.
Don't see it if Uneven blocking. Poor view on left side. Staging is adequate. Not a huge production.
See it if You enjoy heartwarming stories or 'chick flicks.' I saw it twice. Once w/ original cast and once with Jordin Sparks. I preferred Sparks.
Don't see it if you are looking for something heavy or serious. Although it does address a serious topic, its a light fun show w/ a good message and heart!
See it if A very good musical, not great because in the first act and second act there is a very slow points. Good acting.
Don't see it if you need constant action to amuse yourself as there are lulls in the show.
See it if You enjoy a good story, great singing, and serious topical subjects handled in a fresh smart show. Jessie Meuller is incredible!
Don't see it if You're a mysogynist. This story might be about the women but it's for everyone.
See it if You want a fun, light-hearted show with string performances. It's well-paced and funny.
Don't see it if You didn't like the movie or you want a deep experience. This is light and maybe that is not your thing.
See it if you are interested in contemporary romance and issues raised by complex relationships. Great cast. My 95 year old mother loved it.
Don't see it if romantic love outside of marriage distresses you.
See it if you want to see Jessie Mueller shine (as usual) in an otherwise simplistic, uninspired musical; you are a Sara Bareilles fan.
Don't see it if you expect more than a flimsy, emotionally manipulative rom-com where moral quandaries (domestic abuse, adultery, etc) are played for laughs
See it if This play has a little of every thing funny, you will laugh and smile. Parts are sad.
Don't see it if Her husband has long hands with her. Read more
Critic Reviews (53)
"Much of the score is appealing. But the book tends to flatten most of the characters into comic cartoons...'Waitress' taps into its wellsprings of universal feeling with a slick surface professionalism rather than anything approaching real depth...It is when Mueller tears into the musical’s climactic number that her talents are most movingly harnessed...Suddenly, a pleasant and polished but weightless musical comedy rises to transporting heights, and sweeps up your heart along with it."
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"Fresh and delicious, 'Waitress' has an excellent ratio of sweet to tart; supporting characters who provide crustiness and flakiness; and cooked-to-perfection staging. The whole dish is love at first bite...Jessie Nelson’s broadly comic yet brooding book meshes wonderfully with a frisky, bright score by pop star Sara Bareilles...For all its folksy one-liners and radio-friendly sound, 'Waitress' has a subversive, feminist side."
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"'Waitress' is clearly, passionately, and for the most part delightfully a feminist musical....'Waitress' can be an uncomfortable genre mix: domestic-violence drama and workplace romcom. That’s in the source material, and the musicalization exaggerates it. What I didn’t expect is that the musicalization could also help to justify the mismatch. As the story rushed toward its conclusion, I began to understand that for these characters, life itself is an uncomfortable genre mix."
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"Echoing a weakness in the original screen source, Paulus and Latarro could be criticized for overplaying the whimsy. But the material is anchored at every step by Bareilles' melodious pop score and Mueller's supremely natural performance as Jenna...The ballads are not Broadway-style songs in that they advance the plot, but they do something just as vital, which is to deepen our affection for the characters and our access to their inner lives."
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"'Waitress' is a sweet slice of a show that shines with the help of a star ingredient: Tony winner Jessie Mueller...Bareilles has crafted an upbeat, tuneful score that sounds akin to the pop sounds she’s known for with layered harmonies and ballads alongside lively numbers...'Waitress' is warm and endearing, but, like Jenna, it yearns to go somewhere it can’t quite get to. Luckily, the sweetest moments are filling enough."
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"'Waitress' owes its sweetness to the mouth-watering goodness of Jessie Mueller...The musical resorts to comic overkill to create characters. But Sara Bareilles has written a charming score that suits the quirky material and Mueller’s dazzling voice and endearing personality...There are good things in the second act, which is more lyrical and less silly...Too bad it took so long to get here."
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"A tourist-trap rom-com that has little to offer but Ms. Mueller and her fine supporting cast...Everything that happens in 'Waitress' is as familiar as a cafeteria salad...Jessie Nelson’s book is full of holes...Ms. Bareilles has no notion of how to write for the stage. Her tunes are flat and unmemorably unhummable, and she shoves so many words into each stanza that none of them stand out...Ms. Mueller, on the other hand, is so good that you’ll actively resent the mediocrity of 'Waitress.'"
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"The positives far outnumber the negatives...The score is a beaut. Bareilles covers the territory with ballads, beautiful choral numbers, big dance numbers and Jenna’s killer anthems. The cast is pleasingly diverse without shouting about it...'Waitress' is a feel-good show that’s no mere guilty pleasure. It’s got soul and heart, sweetness and crust all in fine measure."
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