Review: WAITRESS at Diamond Head Theatre

It's been a while since I've written a review for a local production, and what a treat it is to do so for Diamond Head Theatre's Waitress. Once intended for 2020 and then indefinitely delayed due to Covid-19, 'The Broadway of the Pacific' was finally given its chance to mount this Hawaii premiere, and I personally appreciated my viewing of this performance, because it leaves room for discussion in terms of its strengths and what could, perhaps, see its improvements in.

Led by no stranger to the DHT stage, Sarah Souza charismatically and charmingly plays our protagonist, Jenna, who is a small-town diner waitress, stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband, Earl (David Heulitt). Afraid and unsure of whether to leave him, despite her constant pleas of support and comfort by her best friends and fellow diner waitresses, Becky (Cassie Favreau-Chung) and Dawn (Karese Kaw-uh), complicating matters further is an unexpected pregnancy that Jenna becomes initially unenthusiastic about. Eventually coming to terms with her pregnancy, she discovers a competition for a passion and her seemingly best skill: pie-baking, which comes with a $20,000 prize and, subsequently, her ticket out of her marriage. During her first-trimester appointment is where she meets the interim gynecologist, Dr. Pottamer, played by Zachary Linnert, who is awkward yet effortlessly comedic. While he becomes head over heels for her at first sight, she denies him and the attraction, only for them to develop an affair.

What I like about this show is that despite it encompassing a rather commonplace plot, the actors fully inhabit their roles, in which most of them seem to have seamlessly stepped into their characters' shoes, conveying the utmost believability. This, in turn, causes the audience to focus on the characters and root for Jenna to not only leave her abusive marriage but also find within herself every inch of happiness with Dr. Pottamer. Their constant back-and-forth and bickering calls for an abundance of tongue in cheek as well as grins of charm. And, adding to the wit and allure are the supporting characters and castmates, like the aforementioned Favreau-Chung, who provides the show's best one-liners as well as Kaw-uh, whose awkwardness remains consistently hilarious throughout the show, only to be accentuated by Reyn Halford's Ogie, whose "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me" is the show's highlight. There is also DHT staple Lisa Konove, who, in her typecast character, at first tough then eventually sensitively plays the heart of the show: diner-owner Jo. Further shout-outs belong to diner-cook/manager Don Farmer as Cal, comedically unable to hold authority over his employees as well as Susan Hawes as Nurse Norma, whose facial expressions and deep-voiced accent work provides consistent levity to the audience.

Musically, the songs may not be what you expect of a "traditional" Broadway cannon due to its modern nature and composed by Sara Bareilles, but there are certainly some standouts, notably "A Soft Place to Land", sung acoustically by Jenna, Becky, and Dawn accompanied by a guitar, all led by Melina Lilios. The musical's show-stopping tune comes in the form of "She Used To Be Mine", powerfully and emotionally belted by a trained, natural Souza. Some songs include off-stage clapping, which is a clever and jaunty addition to the score. The lighting design is effective by Dawn Oshima as well as the many pies designed by Lisa Naksone, which should definitely have you craving a piece.

The only aspect of the show that did not always work-and this PAINS me to say-is how the ensemble is used. For a rather small stage, the ensemble often populates it, whether in the diner or doing a dance number behind the principal characters singing a song, therefore causing it to look overpopulated and may subsequently cause the audience to be unsure of where to look during a scene. Ensembles are, without a doubt, among the most imperative elements of any show to fully carry it over the finish line, so it becomes difficult to say this, but the some 15 ensemble members at times felt displaced within a scene, and, in turn, their dance numbers caused distraction from the principal characters performing a song, although there is innovative choreography by Ahnya Chang. However, it was nice to see some new and less frequent actors fill the ensemble, all of them having excellent dance abilities and background interactions amongst each other during the diner scenes.

Overall, Waitress is a delicious delight. From the comedic performances to the soulful musical numbers to the mouth-watering pie props, this Hawaii premiere definitely holds up. Although not recommended for kids to come, this would make the perfect date-night performance.

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