For the Love of Pie

Reviewed by Mary Alderson

Don’t go to the theatre hungry when you see Waitress, now on stage at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre. The amazing set takes us to Joe’s Pie Diner, where the shelves are filled with realistic pies which look delicious. Your mouth will water and you will want to taste them all.

Similarly, you will want to hear more of the singing in this musical and learn more of the story. It’s a bit of a sad story, and one we hear too often. Jenna, the waitress, is stuck in a bad marriage. Yet, by the time dessert comes around, she is single and strong, and that’s what makes this piece of pie special.

Jenna has two zany friends, Dawn and Becky, also waitresses at the diner. Like every small-town diner, there is plenty of drama going on. Dawn finds love, Becky finds a satisfactory situation, and Jenna has a fling, which is just enough to make her realize there is hope for her in the future. An assortment of interesting people come into the diner, each of them trying to improve their lot in life.

Jenna’s husband Earl is a nasty piece of business. She is fed up with his jealousy, abuse, and obsessive control of her, but she can’t see a way to leave him. Then, to her surprise, she is pregnant, which makes her feel even more trapped in her loveless marriage.

In the meantime, Dawn starts dating Ogie, who gets her attention with some weak magic. Becky and Cal, the cook at the diner, commence an unlikely but heartwarming affair, with both professing love for their spouses – her husband is sick and disabled, his wife is gay. At the same time, Jenna becomes involved in an affair with her gynecologist, a new doctor in their small southern town. Just when the characters all seem stuck in a big gooey mess, everything comes out of the oven, baked perfectly.

Kaylee Harwood’s portrayal of Jenna is sweet in its simplicity. She under-acts the role, so that she just seems like any friendly waitress you might have at your table.

Michael Cox is pure evil as Earl. Cox is able to make you aware that Earl’s pleading and profession of love is completely insincere. Lia Luz (Rapunzel in last Christmas’s panto) gives us a funny, nerdy Dawn, and Malinda Carroll has attitude as Becky, but still showing her support for Jenna. Sayer Roberts creates comedy as the new doctor so unsure of himself. Beau Dixon is perfect as the diner manager and cook, Cal. Special mention goes to Taylor Lovelace as Nurse Norma for her sarcasm and sassy attitude, which provides comic relief. Lovelace was in both Little Shop of Horrors and A Year with Frog and Toad at the Capitol.

While Waitress has some beautiful and inspiring songs, the lyrics were lost in the show I attended. Sometimes the band drowned out the singers, other times the singers’ voices sounded muffled. On occasion, I felt the singers were belting songs that should have been sung sweetly. Sometimes I wondered if the southern drawl made it difficult to understand, both in speaking and in singing. Nevertheless, it is a great show, and I hope the sound issues will be ironed out so everyone can hear the beautiful lyrics and enjoy the music.

Based on the 2007 movie, Waitress was made into a musical with the addition of music and lyrics by Broadway great, Sara Bareilles. Then a creative team, entirely made up of women, brought the show to the stage. Presented from a female point of view, the show offers a very inspiring story in a very appetizing way.

Note: Some language and content may not be appropriate for children.

Waitress continues at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope until June 29, 2025. Tickets are available at the box office by calling 905-885-1071 or visiting https://capitoltheatre.com/

Photo: Kaylee Harwood as Jenna in Waitress. Photo by Sam Moffatt.

Waitress
Music & Lyrics by Sara Bareilles
Book by Jessie Nelson
Based on the motion picture by Adrienne Shelly
Directed by Rob Kempson
Musical Direction by Jonathan Corkal-Astorga
Choreography by Patricia Allison
Performed by Kaylee Harwood, Malinda Carroll, Lia Luz, Sayer Roberts, Michael Cox, Beau Dixon, Caulin Moore, Oliver Dennis, Taylor Lovelace, Margaret Thompson, Clea McCaffrey, and seven wonderful little girls who play Lulu.
Capitol Theatre, Port Hope
June 13 to 29, 2025
Reviewed by Mary Alderson