By Kimberly Rau
The second production in Theatre by the Sea’s summertime lineup is “Waitress,” singer/songwriter Sarah Bareilles’s musical adaptation of the Adrienne Shelly movie, and it’s one of the best things they’ve done in years.
Meet Jenna, a waitress with a heart of gold and some great friends, who almost make up for the fact that her husband is an abusive, emotionally manipulative loser. Rather than shove him down a flight of stairs, Jenna takes her inner monologue and uses it to inspire the hundreds of new pies she invents for the diner she works in. She also uses baking as a conduit for her feelings about friendship, love and her ill-timed pregnancy and subsequent lust for her ob/gyn. Jenna’s world may be fraught with uncertainty, but one thing is certain, it’s never dull.
Under the direction of Kevin Hill, Jenna’s story is told by one of the strongest casts TBTS has ever assembled. Dakota Mackey-McGee is our main character, a charismatic, skilled actor with an unbelievable voice, especially on the showstopping “She Used to Be Mine.” Mackey-McGee’s connection with everyone else on stage feels so natural, you’d think the company had been together for years.
Jenna’s best friends are Becky (Anny Jules), a pragmatic woman looking for love outside of her dead marriage, and Dawn (Emelie Latzer), an anxious (but delightfully quirky and perceptive) waitress who is convinced love will never find her…until it does, in the most ridiculous way. Both actors are a joy to watch. Jules can deliver a line like no one else, and Latzer’s over-the-top musical numbers are equally entertaining, particularly Act 1’s “When He Sees Me.” But when it comes to hyperbole, there’s no one like Ogie (Matt DaSilva), Dawn’s suitor, who has one of the funniest songs in the show with “Never Getting Rid of Me.” DaSilva spares nothing in acting this to the hilt.
I could go on. Christopher deProphetis is fantastic as the winsome, awkward Dr. Pomatter, an engaging character with a rather misaligned moral compass. Actor James Channing does a great job as Jenna’s husband Earl (too bad Earl is an ass). Kevin McGlynn is endearing as curmudgeonly diner owner Joe, an older man who sees Jenna’s potential for greatness. Truly everyone, from the ensemble up, is giving their all in this production, from the catchy opening number “Opening Up” to the equally positive finale.
The story plays out on a vibrant, color-saturated set by Cassie McKnight that, combined with Paul Jonathan Davis’s lighting, evokes feelings of the best 90s movies. Musical numbers pop with Ashley Chasteen’s choreography. It all couldn’t be more perfect for the story or the music.
This is one musical that has remained an audience favorite since it first opened on Broadway, but seems to really thrive in more intimate settings. The last time I saw “Waitress” was at PPAC several years ago, and it left me unmoved. The opposite was true in Matunuck. It turns out that bringing the audience closer and keeping things on a smaller scale is all you need to become part of Jenna’s world, flawed as it is. “Waitress” at TBTS is a bit of summertime magic. Catch it before it closes.
“Waitress” runs through July 19, 2025, at Theatre By The Sea, 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield. Tickets may be obtained at the box office, online at theatrebythesea.com or by calling 401.782.8587.
