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Waitress Musical: Sweet but Unsatisfying
8 May
Summary
- Musical's plot is thin, described as underfed and insubstantial.
- Sara Bareilles' songs offer melancholy, but book writer avoids depth.
- Show's heteronormativity and dated politics feel out of place.
The musical "Waitress," currently playing at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, is critiqued for its underdeveloped plot, which feels particularly insubstantial. Despite the sweet and strident presentation, the show offers little of lasting value.
While singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles contributes poignant music, the book by Jessie Nelson largely avoids exploring the deeper emotional currents suggested by the story's origins. The narrative focuses on Jenna, a waitress and baker trapped in an abusive marriage, and her affair with a doctor, alongside the romantic entanglements of her friends.
Performances, including Natalie Bassingthwaighte as Jenna and Rob Mills as Dr. Pomatter, are competent, and the production boasts seamless technical direction. However, the musical's strict heteronormativity and dated sexual politics make it feel anachronistic in the current cultural landscape.
The show's unrelenting evasiveness and faux-optimism prevent any real sense of realism or pathos. Its feminist undertones feel half-hearted, and the overall experience leaves one wishing for more substance to cut through the saccharine presentation.
