Waitress (NYC)

"It features one of the best original pop scores to reach Broadway in years and another knockout performance from Tony winner Jesse Mueller...Bareilles’ sensibility proves an ideal fit for the material. Her stirring, melodic songs do everything a well-crafted musical score ought to do...Nelson likewise lends wit and heart to the often-funny script...The production marks a down-to-earth turn for Tony-winning director Diane Paulus...And the company is excellent all around." Full Review

“'Waitress' strangely enough feels like the 'realest' kind of musical -- one in which we actually believe the characters within the show would be willing to suspend their disbelief and burst into song. Bareilles has crafted gorgeous, delicately constructed songs that would be as appropriate on the radio as they are within the plot...Terrific work of the ensemble, especially Jessie Mueller whose ability to transform into different people...is simply exceptional.” Full Review

"As strong as the show already was, these women have somehow found ways of making the show richer, smoother, and even more deeply affecting. The primary achievement of 'Waitress' lies in taking these ordinary people and making them real. It’s a show that makes you shiver with recognition and tear up with empathy almost throughout...For my money, 'Waitress' is a significantly better show than 'Hamilton.'" Full Review

"The crown jewel of Broadway just arrived…Jessie Mueller took on the role of Jenna with grace, humanity and ingenuity…It left the audience so blissfully connected, you could find them audibly weeping when struggles came afoot. Mueller’s voice filled Sara Bareilles’s iconic style absolutely perfectly, and her connection to the words, be it playful phrases or palpable pathos, was just an absolute treat…Diane Paulus did wonders staging this beautiful show." Full Review

"The cast and creative team behind 'Waitress' pulls off a rare feat: They give us a big, happy musical comedy that simultaneously manages to push the form in exciting ways. 'Waitress' is a definite winner...The earnest anxiety of the story is superbly conveyed through a score by singer-songwriter Bareilles...Her gorgeous lyrics move the plot forward while deepening the emotional world of the characters, bringing the best of a pop sensibility to musical theater." Full Review

"From the first note sung of this beautiful new musical, we know we are in for a mystical and creative piece of musical deliciousness...It’s a beautiful piece of non-classic Broadway songwriting, that floats and swirls like an wonderful aroma. The harmonies and the melodies are just plain delectable...When that timer rang that this inventive pie of a show was done, I can only tell you how delicious it all was." Full Review

“Confirms the Paulus flair for remaining true to her source, but adding the necessary ingredients to make it resonate as a crowd-pleasing musical...A most commendable Broadway debut for singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles...her ability to mix pop, country and R&B serve her well. Her lyrics for the most part display a genuine feel for supporting characters....'Waitress' is handsomely and inventively staged." Full Review

"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." Full Review

"Smartly, the right ingredients for a crowd-pleasing theatrical entertainment have been mixed here: Sara Bareilles’ catchy pop-theatrical score, Diane Paulus’ steady and relatively unshowy direction, and a first-rate cast led by the finest ingredient of them all: the amazing Jessie Mueller...Every conflict in Jenna’s life feels entirely real in Mueller’s expert hands...I suspect some viewers will be coming back for seconds." Full Review

"It’s easy as pie to fall for 'Waitress'...Deliciousness is on the menu...Mueller’s performance is nicely balanced...Mueller’s also a perfect fit for Bareilles’s alternately sorrowful and empowering songs...'Waitress' does a swell job illustrating the shades of gray in human relationships..Jessie Nelson’s book is sharp. 'Waitress' is more than capably directed by Diane Paulus. The pie is ready. Leave room for second helpings." Full Review

"It is propelled by a performance of open-hearted generosity and raw, tangible emotion by Mueller...Best of all, singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, making her theatrical debut, supplies a set of songs that have her own distinctive twang of country-inflected pop yet also pulse with feeling. They contain a bracing edge that commands rapt, enraptured attention, while director Diane Paulus keeps things emotionally engaging, witty and lingeringly, achingly human." Full Review

"From score to casting, book to staging, everything comes together with a deceiving ease. Jessie Mueller is the heart and soul of the show as Jenna. No wonder she takes so easily to Bareilles’ score: The songwriter’s piano-driven style combines storytelling and catchy melodies...The show is also better than the movie in how it creates a tightknit, affectionate community onstage." Full Review

"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." Full Review

"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." Full Review

"It is the warmth of the ensemble, the intimate harmonics of Sara Bareilles' music, the fluid fusion of Diane Paulus' staging and, above all, the flaky layers of vulnerability exposed by the show's golden star, Jessie Mueller, that matter most...Mueller's is a performance stripped of condescension, lived in the moment and rich in musical pleasures...Paulus and Latarro know when to use their ensemble and when to keep it in the booths and leave the stage to Mueller." Full Review

"Simple ingredients can produce scrumptious, and healing, results. That's certainly the case with this delightful adaptation...The libretto retains the warm, gutsy spirit and earthy wit that marked the original screenplay, while Sara Bareilles provides a folk-based score that shimmers and charms, never straining too hard for theatricality…Jenna is also another showcase for the gentle pluck and vulnerability Mueller has brought to various roles." Full Review

"A divine Broadway chick flick with something for everyone to enjoy. Broadway darling Jessie Mueller (Jenna) tackles the downtrodden role with gusto and aplomb, bringing life to Ms. Bareilles' music. But what may be more important is that the supporting cast brings life to the show itself…A perfect blend of soulful music, funny dialogue and a quirky cast of characters forms the basis for quite an enjoyable evening." Full Review

“The musical manages to be both bittersweet and joyful...Bareilles makes an impressive Broadway debut. Her music and lyrics illustrate the complexities of these women and their relationships...I struggled with some of Diane Paulus’s directorial choices...Sloppy choreography and direction distracts...Ultimately the music, lyrics and performances are so rich that these nits are minor distractions in an otherwise engaging show.” Full Review

"A great recipe: Take terrific songs by Bareilles, mix them to a story by Nelson that isn't too sugary, bake that with intimate, understated direction by Paulus and top it off with a powerhouse performance by Mueller...Nelson's script sometimes drifts toward icky sweetness but always seems to quickly cut it with a dash of vinegar...If you're hungry for a heartfelt gooey musical with a molten star in the middle, order up a slice of 'Waitress'." Full Review

"There's a palpable sense of community among the women, which is different from what you typically see on stage and screen...There's a lot going on, but none of it feels rushed or cramped or overwhelming. Ideas—good and bad—are given time to develop and flourish in pop singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles's score...'Waitress' is groundbreaking in that it is the first musical on Broadway with an all-female creative team...Order up!" Full Review

"Admittedly, the comic coincidences and plot conveniences don't stand the test of realism and the ending is sentimental in a non-rom-com way. But the show's heart is earned through the beauty and integrity of Mueller's work...'Waitress' wears its flaws on its uniform sleeve, but the naked honesty of Mueller's singing is enough to make an overscheduled theater critic wish that the curtain would never come down." Full Review

"'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." Full Review

"There are so many things this show does well, but more than anything, there was an element of realness that proved a beautiful contrast to the make-believe and magic that is inherently theatre...There’s a lot of Broadway convention in this show, and some of that is unavoidable, but I was rarely bothered...There’s so much to love in this show. Not only is 'Waitress' worth the wait, it’s also worth standing up for." Full Review

"There are good reasons to savor 'Waitress,' the sweet and tart new musical confection about love and pie, deliciously performed...Diane Paulus directs with her usual verve, but, in keeping with the material, more down-home and laid-back than usual...Bareilles has written a score full of pleasing songs...The lyrics won’t make Sondheim jealous; the plot is both implausible and yet fairly predictable. But what 'Waitress' leaves us with is the affection evident among the characters." Full Review

"It’s a tall order to combine romantic comedy with troubling depictions of spousal abuse...Nevertheless, the characters are authentic and surprising, and it ends with a heartwarming climax...Bareilles’ country-flavored, cute and quirky, introspective songs are nicely integrated into Jessie Nelson’s book...A few questionable choices stick out, like putting the band prominently onstage on a moving platform...Mueller looks browbeaten most of the time, but she has a warm aura and a stunning voice." Full Review