You may want a slice of pie before the finale of Florida Studio Theatre's season-opening production of "Waitress," a charming and well-cast musical about a master pie-baker working in a small diner and not sure how to find happiness and a better life.
Jenna learned to bake with her late mother, and she works on quite a few different recipes during the show, all of them given clever and pointed titles that tell you a lot about her state of mind. Have a slice of "I Hate My Husband Pie" or "Pregnant, Miserable, Self-Pitying Loser Pie," or perhaps you'd prefer the more pleasant-sounding "Mermaid Marshmallow Pie" or "A Little Wild Wild Berry Pie."
The audience gets to watch Jenna mix sugar, butter and flour while singing about her life in the kitchen of Joe's Pie Diner, where she is also a waitress. Baking is her passion and gets her away from her abusive lout of a husband, Earl, who is more dependent on Jenna than he realizes. Jenna has bigger dreams, like winning a pie contest with a big cash prize that could change her life. Then she discovers she's pregnant and gets a little too close to her new doctor.
The musical is based on the lovely 2007 independent film by the late Adrienne Shelley (starring Keri Russel as Jenna), with a book by Jessie Nelson that sticks close to the original while opening up situations for songwriter Sara Bareilles to fill in character details with a delicious score of poignant ballads and comedy numbers that all seem to tumble out naturally.
The song titles are as pointed as the pie names - "What's Inside" (which takes on many meanings), "What Baking Can Do," "Club Knocked Up," "When He Sees Me," "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me" and "Bad Idea," a duet between Jenna and Dr. Pomatter.
Director and choreographer Ben Liebert stages a production filled with good spirits, harsh realities and fun comedy and led by an engaging Kaitlyn Davidson as Jenna, who makes you fall for her from the moment she pours her first scoop of sugar. Davidson has a sweet voice that gives spirit to Bareilles' songs, complementing a performance in which Jenna is trying to hide the hurt and troubles in her life, except when she's in the kitchen. And she builds up to a poignant performance of the show's best-known song "She Used to be Mine."
She is joined by Galyana Castillo as the truth-telling Becky and Charity Farrell as the seemingly demure and innocent Dawn, fellow waitresses who become her surrogate family. Love blooms in the diner, which is run by Jason Pintar as the gruff softy Cal. Scott Wakefield plays the diner owner, Joe, a much-married, demanding sort who wants his breakfast in a specific way, but deep down he has a heart of gold. Nick Cearley is adorable as Ogie, a young man with a love of Revolutionary War re-enactments who is bound and determined to win over the cautious Dawn.
As Earl, James David Larson takes on one of the show's trickiest roles by making you care about a man you fear might physically harm Jenna. He's a loser who needs help, and you want Jenna to get away from him as fast as possible. Quinn Corcoran plays the charming, wholly inappropriate gynecologist Dr. Pomatter, who thinks he's getting away with a secret affair, not realizing everybody but his wife is aware of it.
The production moves smoothly on that Curley-Clay set, and the costumes by Chelsea Allen and Jacob Denney tell you a lot about the characters. The sound by Thom Beaulieu was uneven and often too bright at Tuesday night's performance, but the cast members help you hear and understand every word.
Some smart surprises and welcome changes develop along the way and they go down smoothly, like a cup of coffee with a slice of Sweet Victory Pie.
Music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, book by Jessie Nelson. Directed and choreographed by Ben Liebert. Reviewed Nov. 12. Extended through Jan. 5. Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota. Tickets are $39-$59. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org
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