Every year on my birthday I have one specific birthday wish: to go to New York City and see a Broadway show. Call me spoiled, but seeing a Broadway show is literally the only thing that makes me extremely happy and makes me forget about everything the world is going through. It tells a story through the melodies of songs and each turn in a dance number. So this Friday, the day before my 17th birthday, my family and I headed out to Times Square to snag tickets to Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. Eager to see actor Ben Platt in his last few performances we went straight to the box office in an attempt to get standing room tickets from the frequently sold out show. Well, there was no luck. The man at the box office informed us of how every show until Ben Platt leaves was sold out and there was no chance of getting a ticket. Disappointed, I had a second choice musical. I had heard amazing things about Waitress and decided that I would check it out. Although this was my second choice, it is not a second choice musical. Over the years, I have seen five other shows, and none have made me laugh and cry more than this one. It is incredibly modern, inspiring, and humorous.

Waitress centers around waitress, Jenna, and her struggles with an unwanted pregnancy. With an irresponsible and unreliable husband, Jenna has to seek advice from her coworkers and best friends, Becky and Dawn, owner of the diner, Joe, and more importantly, her OB/GYN, Dr. Pomatter. Orchestrating a fling with her doctor behind her husband’s back, Jenna faces many conflicting feelings about what is truly right for her. Should she leave her husband or should she stay and take care of both him and the baby? Should she continue seeing her doctor or should she cut off all ties? Should she stay in town and be a waitress, or enter a pie bake off in a far off town? Should she keep secrets and lie, or face the brutal truth?

Waitress keeps all audience members awake, alert, and paying attention to every line and facial expression. The musical is the epitome of contemporary and fits a more teenager and young adult audience with its sexual humor, catchy songs, and captivating scenes.

Plot: 5/5

I’m going to be perfectly honest. If I had no clue what this show was about, I would not want to see a show about a waitress. Broadway has filled every theatre with incredible shows, so when Waitress first came to Broadway, I expected that within the next three months, it would get kicked out of the theatre as unsuccessful shows usually are. I was wrong, and thank goodness for that. I had friends that went to see it about a year later and then I started reading reviews online about how Waitress is a legendary show. So, after reading up about the plot, I knew that this show would be on my list of musicals to see. I loved how original everything was, from the setting to each character.  Everything tied into the plot which sounds simple, but is crucial. I have seen shows where there are unnecessary characters and unnecessary scenes that makes me wonder how much longer the show will go on for. This wasn’t the case at all! Each time the plot through in a twist, it was addressed and “baked into a beautiful pie,” if you will.

Songs: 5/5

I listened to the original cast album prior to attending the show and I fell in love specifically because Sara Bareilles wrote the music. As one of the greatest songwriters and singers of all time, I didn’t even have to read her name on the Waitress information page to know that she wrote the music. The reason why musicals are so famous is because unlike any other pop song, it follows a story line and reveals things about a character in a completely unique way. Broadway musicals are famous for a singer’s vibrato and incredible range, but Sara Bareilles has done the unthinkable: she has blended pop with musical theatre. My favorite songs are “When He Sees Me,” and “She Used To Be Mine,” for their power and gorgeous melodies.

I even asked lead, Betsy Wolfe, what the hardest song to perform was, and she said, “It changes every night! There isn’t just one.”

Dance: 3/5   

Even though this show was spectacular, if you are looking for a musical with lots of dancing, you might want to see a different show. Because Waitress is heavily supported by the songs and acting, there isn’t much room for lengthy dance routines. In fact, there were only a couple of backup dancers that mirrored moves the leads would act out. I’m not as interested in dance as I am songs, so it didn’t affect my experience, but it could for others.

Acting: 5/5

I didn’t realize how amazing the acting was until after the show I met a couple actors from the cast. They were completely different people on stage! The irresponsible husband was funny and very sweet, the super sassy Becky was perky and excited, and the humble Jenna was goofy and hilarious. Everyone on stage had a southern accent while on the streets of New York, their voices varied. On Broadway, some actors tend to be too theatrical and overact, but I felt like I was watching an Oscar worthy movie. It was that seamless, and that’s what made it enjoyable.

Humor: 5/5

Like I said before, I have never laughed more in a show than I have in Waitress. The sexual humor could have even gotten a giggle out of a traditional grandmother. My mother saw the show as well, and she wasn’t weirded out at all! I think the fact that it revolves around pregnancy makes some jokes relatable to experienced women. From discovering Jenna is pregnant to the awkwardness of Dr. Pomatter’s demure, it was obvious that scriptwriters had truly outdone themselves to make audiences constantly erupt with laughter.

Ending: 3.5/5

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Ok, so I was enjoying the entire show until Dr. Pomatter’s wife came into the picture and messed up the beautiful relationship between him and Jenna. I wanted to scream when Jenna told Dr. Pomatter to go back to his wife. I kept waiting for him to come back, maybe with his sad attempt at making a pie, but he didn’t. I would have given the ending a zero if it hadn’t been for Jenna divorcing her husband and raising her daughter Lulu by herself. The other part that I really loved was that Jenna won the pie contest and inherited the pie shop from Joe. The fact that she named it “Lulu’s Pies” after her daughter made the ending a little bit sweeter.

Overall: 26.5/30