ADVERTISEMENT

    Broadway Across America’s Waitress November 7-12

    Writer-director Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 film Waitress is beloved for its tone. It fused comic absurdity and archetype to sharply-observed characters the audience rooted for in all their heartbreak and messiness. Unfortunately, the hit Broadway musical adapted by Jessie Nelson (book) and Sara Bareilles (music and lyrics) loses the thread and the touring production in Columbus this week is a ponderous, overlong slog.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The outline of Waitress is familiar to any fans of the source material. Jenna (Desi Oakley) channels her creativity and tries to escape a terrible marriage to Earl (Nick Bailey). into a series of outlandish and delicious sounding pies. Jenna and her best friends Dawn (Lenne Klingaman) and Becky (Charity Angel Dawson) work at a diner owned by aging curmudgeon Joe (Larry Marshall) and run by cranky head cook Cal (Ryan Dunkin). Finding she’s pregnant sets Jenna down the road to claiming happiness for herself, with a dalliance Dr. Pomatter (Bryan Fenkart) along the way.

    Lenne Klingaman, Desi Oakley, and Charity Angel Dawson in the National Tour of Waitress. Photo by Joan Marcus.

    The overwhelming edict for this musical adaptation seems to be that more is always more. The two acts clock in at almost three hours with a fifteen-minute intermission. There isn’t one joke or one emotional moment that doesn’t get underlined and explained until all the blood is drained out of it. The quirky characters are blown up to cartoonish proportions making it hard to see anyone except Jenna as human, to the extent it’s hard to tell if the tonal discrepancies are acting choices or faithful delivery of the script. Most damaging, it’s talky. Fifteen-twenty minute stretches pass without a song and emotional moments don’t warrant turning into music.

    When the songs do come, they mostly land with a thud. Bareilles has a gift for big, mid-tempo pop melody but trying to write in other modes feels forced and she’s not a narrative lyricist. More than once I found myself unable to focus on anything else trying to make sense of the disjointed, head-scratching lyrics. Exceptions include some Oakley features like the barn-burning “Everything Changes,” her sweet duet with Fenkart on “You Matter to Me,” and Dawson’s riotous feature “When He Sees Me.”

    Desi Oakley is great throughout, keeping an emotional grounding in all the chaos. Lenne Klingaman’s Dawn has lovely chemistry with Jeremy Morse’s Ogie. Dunkin finds some nuance in Cal, the one character who becomes more likable in this version.

    Waitress is clearly designed for people who walked out of the movie wanting more time with these characters. That’s the only audience I can recommend it do in any good conscience, and even they would be reminded to temper their expectations.

    Waitress runs through November 12 with performances at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 p.m. Friday, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. For tickets and more info, click here.

    SaveSave

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    11th Annual Urban Living Tour Returns on Sunday, May 5th

    Looking for a new place to live? Want to see what living in the city could be like? The Urban Living Tour is a self-guided open house of apartments, condos, and homes in the Columbus area. You'll see an assortment of new builds, remodels, apartment communities, parks, and all the amenities that go with city living!

    French Bistro Slated for Prominent Downtown Corner

    Another new restaurant is coming to the corner of...

    The Confluence Cast: Downtown with Michael Brown

    We're exploring the evolution of downtown with Michael Brown, who has been a cornerstone in the city's development planning and worked both in and outside city government to cheer on its growth. Columbus Underground editor Walker Evans and Mike delve into the city's challenges and triumphs, the synergy between projects, the balance between iconic and neighborhood-level public art investments, and the concerted efforts to address systemic issues like homelessness and affordable housing. Through anecdotes and insights, they highlight Columbus's young, creative energy and the dynamic urban policies that continue to drive its growth.
    Richard Sanford
    Richard Sanfordhttp://sanfordspeaks.blogspot.com/
    Richard Sanford is a freelance contributor to Columbus Underground covering the city's vibrant theatre scene. You can find him seeking inspiration at a variety of bars, concert halls, performance spaces, museums and galleries.
    ADVERTISEMENT