We were invited* to see Waitress, a very popular musical on Broadway, recently.  This charming musical follows the story of a young hard-working woman, Jenna, stuck in a rut, slaving away in a small town diner and in an abusive marriage.  Despite her lackluster situation she finds herself in, she tries to make the most of it with a cheerful demeanor and sunny outlook.  Her stress outlet comes in the form of creating delectable pies of all sorts to be sold each day at the diner.  Patrons come in every day just for her pies.

One day she discovers that a surprise awaits her, an unexpected and unwelcome one.  She is going to have a baby.  So she creates a “Betrayed by my eggs” pie.  Her humorous and cheery outlook on life, as well as her hopes, dreams and heartache, are portrayed through the songs written by Sara Bareilles. The music is very good and a great addition to the story line.

The characters we meet in Waitress along the way are very charming and well-developed.  Jenna’s co-workers, Becky and Dawn, are fantastic, and the trio’s friendship is endearing. As Jenna meets new faces and new problems and scenarios arise  to complicate already complex matters, the audience feels for her, even if her choices are not always the best ones.  We, too, wish that her hopes and dreams can be realized.

Waitress does not have a fairytale ending, as is true with life in general.  However, some sweet surprises await Jenna, perhaps realized in a way different from how she imagined, but made especially suited to her.

Waitress was enjoyed very much by the audience I saw the show with.  The characters were fun and relatable, the music touching, the acting great, and the ending was sweet, just like all those creations we enjoyed Jenna making throughout the show.

Tickets to Waitress would make a great gift this holiday season for older audiences, as there are some adult scenes not suitable for younger audiences.  To learn more about the show, and purchase your own tickets, visit their website.

*we were invited to see the show to facilitate a feature, all opinions are my own.