One Fan Show

The history of the musical Waitress is the history of undeniable leading ladies. I was lucky enough to see Jessie Mueller bare her soul when she originated the starring role; but composer and lyricist Sara Bareilles also stepped into the part on Broadway, bringing her mellifluous vocal stylings and boundless charisma. 

You can still experience the musical with either of these powerhouses: Mueller is featured on the original Broadway cast album, of course, while Bareilles sings the songs on a separate album and also plays the part in a filmed stage recording you can currently stream on Max. That’s right, you don’t even need to leave your house to see what some fans consider to be the best version of this show.

I wouldn’t suggest sticking to any of those, though. Artistry is staging the regional premiere of Waitress through May 11th with a leading lady who not only earns her keep among those illustrious forebears, but whose stirring renditions of these songs will stay with you long after you’ve left the Bloomington Center for the Arts. I know we have eight months left in 2025, but Erin Capello is undoubtedly putting on one of the best performances of the year.

Capello plays Jenna Hunterson, a waitress at a small-town diner in the South who has a knack for inventing pies and excuses to stay with her abusive husband. Early on in the story she takes a pregnancy test at work, with her fellow pie-slingers Dawn (Julia Diaz) and Becky (Adair Gilliam) joining her in the bathroom to see the results. When it comes up positive, her life is knocked out of auto-pilot. Should she leave her husband despite all the risks that entails, including his wrath? Or should she subject her child to the same abuse in order to keep the nuclear family intact? And what about her own deferred dreams — where do those fit in?

Does that sound heavy? It should, as it’s unfortunately a perennial relevant story in America. But this show by Barellies and book writer Jessie Nelson (who also co-wrote the book of another one of my favorite modern musicals, Alice by Heart) is one of the best musicals of the 2010s because it mixes together evocative drama with unforgettable music and cohesive comedy that echoes the messiness of real life. The creators of Waitress obviously learned the most important lessons of Broadway’s Golden Age while infusing a sensibility that’s thoroughly contemporary. 

Case in point, there are other couples who offer comic relief against Jenna’s serious dilemma, including Dawn and her dating-app find Ogie (Armando Harlow Ronconi, who had the audience cackling with laughter), though they diverge from old-school musicals in a scene that involves period roleplay (I won’t elaborate, but iykyk). Then there are the songs, like “It Only Takes a Taste,” sung by Jenna and her charming new obstetrician Dr. Pomatter (Chris Paulson, whose chemistry with Capello is sublime) while waiting for the bus, that are filled to the brim with subtext. In Carousel’s famous bench scene, the would-be lovers sing around the idea of falling for each other; here they do the same, but with more 21st-century anxiety and double entendre. 

While Waitress is indeed based on the 2007 movie by Adrienne Shelly, this musical opens the story up to new creative possibilities, and Amanda White’s inventive direction in this Artistry production does the same. Much of the staging is taken from the original, but there are new ideas thrown into the mix: simple props that range from spatulas to suitcases are used in fleeting yet ingenious moments that make the recipe that much more potent.

As Jenna’s pregnancy progresses, alongside her feelings for her doctor and loathing of her husband, she plans to enter a pie-baking contest that could win her enough prize money to finally change her (and her child’s) life for good. But what secret ingredient should she use? Caramel? Passionfruit? Marshmallow? 

I won’t spoil the surprise, but the star ingredient in this Waitress is no secret: Capello not only fills the theater with her powerful belt, but in Jenna’s softer, helpless moments, her voice reaches out like a delicate finger and taps on your tear ducts. Don’t worry, none of your fellow audience members will turn to look for fear of exposing their own streaked cheeks. And yet, it’s not only Capello’s voice which makes her Jenna so compelling — it’s the the whole thing: a Southern accent that other actors could take lessons from, a convincing toughness that plays perfectly off of Paulson’s quirkiness, and an easy friendship with Diaz, Gilliam and JoeNathan Thomas (who plays Joe, a persnickety diner regular) that feels cultivated over many years.

Paulson strikes an ideal balance between Pomatter’s eccentricities and necessary reality, and his graceful musicality makes his duet with Capello on “You Matter to Me” a highlight of the production. Eric Morris plays the thankless role of Earl, Jenna’s deadbeat husband, but he’s mostly able to convince us of both his potentially violent and utterly pathetic nature. That taut string is slackened, though, when Morris turns his one song into a vocal showcase when it would be best served with restraint. 

I wish I had more to say about the six-piece orchestra, led by music director and conductor Bradley Beahen on keys. Sitting on stage, they provided extra vitality to the production and an invigorating sound, but there were some volume and balance issues. I’ll refrain from discussing those quibbles further as I attended a preview performance and I don’t think it’s fair when those elements are often worked on before opening.

Whether you’re a fan of Waitress, Sara Bareilles or Minnesota theater in general, I have a feeling you’ll come out of this production an Erin Capello fan with a hankering to see another Artistry show. And if you get to it early enough, you may even be tempted to come back immediately for a second helping.

Full Transparency: I bought my own ticket to Waitress.

Waitress

Artistry
Bloomington Center for the Arts
1800 West Old Shakopee Road 
Bloomington, MN 55431

April 17 – May 11
Read more at Artistry