Review: WAITRESS at Omaha Community Playhouse

One of my favorite pieces of musical theatre opened at the Omaha Community Playhouse on January 24th. WAITRESS, featuring the prodigious music and lyrics of Sara Bareilles and book by Jessie Nelson, was adapted from Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 film script of the same name. Shelly wrote, directed and co-starred in the film, but was murdered in 2006 when she was only 40 years old. Sadly, Shelly never saw the film which opened three months later.

The background of WAITRESS is as compelling as the plot itself. It premiered on Broadway in 2016 and closed four years later during COVID. WAITRESS made history as the first Broadway musical in which the book songwriter, book writer, choreographer and director were all female artists: Bareilles, Nelson, choreographer Larin Latarro and director Diane Paulus. The Costume Designer Suttirat Larlarb and musical director Nadia DiGiallonardo, are also women. With a decidely female point of view, WAITRESS succeeds in appealing to everyone. Nominated for multiple awards, WAITRESS won for outstanding featured actor in a musical (Christopher Fitzgerald as Ogie), but failed to take the Tony Award for Best Musical or the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

WAITRESS's seemingly simple facade surrounds an inner complexity. It depicts the life of Jenna Hunterson, a pie baker with skills passed on by her mother and waitress married to an abusive man, who is stuck in small town USA. She unwittingly becomes pregnant with her husband’s child and visits her OB/GYN only to find a new Dr. Pomatter filling in. Jenna develops an infatuation with him. Her waitress sidekicks, Becky and Dawn, loyally support her as they search for their own happiness through romantic relationships.

OCP’s Co-Artistic Director, Alex Rodriguez directs this production which is resonating with the audience for its themes of motherhood, domestic abuse, and dreams of a better life. Having seen Sara Bareilles and Jessie Mueller on Broadway, I had come with preconceived expectations. Those expectations are subject to the director’s casting and artistic choices. Rodriguez made this production his own, creating a production with an entirely new vibe.

The young cast is headlined by Monica Weber as Jenna. Weber’s vocal style is loud and proud. She has a confident voice that blends harmoniously with her co-workers Becky (Olivia Cano) and Dawn (Evelyn Hill). These three could blow the house down. They connect with one another especially well in their banter and are surprisingly similar in appearance.

Cano’s quick comebacks are sharp and funny. Admittedly, it is a bit hard to accept that youthful Cano is married to a man who wears diapers, and who is interested in a relationship with middle-aged Cal (Patrick Kilcoyne), the cook at the diner. But her performance allows us to overlook it. She sells the song “I Didn’t Plan It” even if she doesn’t sell her relationship.

Hill is skilled at comedy and presents a different version of the original Dawn; less quirky and shy, more oddball. She is always fun to watch. Her vocals are undeniably rich, but she could have pulled back a bit to convey her insecurity in “When He Sees Me.”

Dawn’s online love interest, Ogie, well played by Curtis Reynolds, is the most fun character in the story. His frenetic rendition of “Never Getting Rid of Me” is a hilarious romp that elicits an uproarious audience response. You just can’t not laugh at him and his antics.

Geoffrey Eggleston as Jenna’s abusive husband Earl is on target. His verbal and threatened physical abuse are enough to incite feelings of anxiety. When he sings accompanied by guitar, they are both jarring in sound—not unpleasantly, but a rough sound that triggers feelings of discomfort.

Joe, the elderly owner of the diner and most demanding of customers, requires a personality that is hard to like. Mark Thornburg is hard not to like. He does a great job, but is more congenial than crotchety. Dressed in that cream colored suit, he presents a Colonel Sanders persona with a soft spot for Jenna. Thornburg employs his sweet baritone in “Take it From an Old Man,” an endearing moment between him and Weber.

Aron Murname as Dr. Pomatter portrays a naive, bumbling young doctor with a golden voice.  “You Matter to Me” is an emotionally wrenching song that requires careful attention to the feeling of the lyrics and melody. Murname achieves that.

The relationship between Murname and Weber is not totally believable, but mostly because the story line is implausible. Not only are they both married, but they have to cross the ethical boundary between a doctor and patient. It is not a good bad idea; it is a bad bad idea. Bri Davis as Nurse Norma rescues us from that bad situation and tickles the funny bone with her dry wit and sarcasm. The trio in “Club Knocked Up” is entertaining and fun.

Liz Stinman does a fine job multitasking as vocal director, conductor of the five piece orchestra, and pianist. 

Visuals are equally important in musicals as auditory elements. Lindsey Pape underplayed her costume design talent. Costumes look straight from thrift shops, which may have been the intent…after all, this is small town somewhere USA. Becky wears boots, an unsafe choice for food service workers. Jenna visits Dr. Pomatter wearing jeans, but returns to the diner supposedly “wearing her dress inside out.”

New York based Scenic Designer Nora Marlow Smith’s set is spare with the orchestra spread out over the rear. A large circle cut in the back wall is inexplicable until the ending of the show where it serves a purpose. The lighted DINER sign cleverly turns into a D…R sign during the doctor office scene.

Sara Bareilles has an uncanny ability to write in metaphor. Her lyrics are subtle. "She Used to Be Mine" is an introspective look into what Jenna thinks she used to be. Belting diminishes that sweet contemplation. 

Despite my minor reservations, the audience seemed genuinely impressed. You won’t regret buying tickets for this one. Find out why WAITRESS is one of the most popular musicals of our time.

WAITRESS runs January 24-February 16. Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. There will be no performance on Saturday, February 1. Tickets are available at the Box Office (402) 553-0800 or online at ticketomaha.com.

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