Interview: Jeremy Morse On the Empowerment and Entertainment Served Up in WAITRESS

I had a chance to chat with Jeremy Morse, currently performing in the national tour of WAITRESS, in advance of the show's arrival in Chicago. For those unfamiliar, WAITRESS follows small-town Jenna who works in a diner and aspires to become a great pie baker and break free from her abusive husband-with the support of her best friends Dawn and Becky. Morse takes on the role of Ogie, Dawn's quirky and eager love interest. Morse discussed what it's been like to perform Sara Bareilles's songs for the past three years in WAITRESS from its pre-Broadway engagement to the current tour, highlights of tour life, and of course, pie.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today! I know the WAITRESS national tour has been on the road for a bit now. How's it going so far?

It's going well! It's been a pretty cool experience to see the country. It's my first big national tour. This is my first tour where I've gotten the chance to see cities and play all these awesome, beautiful houses.

I also know you understudied the role of Ogie on Broadway. Can you talk to me about the differences between your experiences on Broadway and your experience now on tour?

It was really cool being in the Broadway cast and ensemble, being a part of the original Broadway company of the show, and getting to watch the show in development. I've been with the show since the out-of-town tryout in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's been a long journey seeing the show develop and change and shift over the past three years...watching the show get developed for the out-of-town tryout was so interesting. And watching the show get developed and being a part of it in New York was so interesting. It was my first Broadway show. It was pretty wild getting to do that.

Ogie is kind of his own beast because I don't go onstage for an hour. It's a very different experience from being in the ensemble and being there right from the get-go. It's really fun getting to flex my comedic muscles with Ogie. It was so much fun to be a part of the show in the ensemble, sing Sara's music, and do Lorin [Latarro's] choreography. It's been a very different experience doing Ogie and getting those laughs, and especially doing "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me," which generates such big laughs. It's been fun seeing how that number plays differently in different cities. It's been dipping our toe in the water and saying, "Is this is going to read here in this city?" Seeing how the show plays in the different spaces has been interesting, too. Sometimes we can hear the audiences, and we get that immediate response. In other venues, sometimes we can't, and it's like you're speaking into a void. It's all part of the adventure.

Being in the Ogie track for tour, it's been fun because I can actually go out into the house and watch the first 15 or 20 minutes of the show and get a feel for the audiences. Then I can go back and tell the cast that people are laughing, we just can't hear them onstage.

Ogie is the love interest for Dawn, one of the protagonist Jenna's closest friends. Having understudied the role in New York and now playing it on tour, how do you build your relationship with your scene partners?

Lenne [Klingerman], who plays Dawn out here on tour, is so, so funny. Immediately in rehearsal we connected, and it was like, "Okay, we're gonna be two little goofballs coming together with this relationship." A lot of it is just in the writing. It's really easy to connect these two characters especially if we're on the same page, which Lenne and I are.

It's interesting actually you bring this up. I've done Ogie with many, many different Dawns. It goes back to Acting 101. It's listening and being present and just finding the unique ways to fall in love with each Dawn, and however that person portrays the character, just finding the connection. Next week in Fort Worth, Texas, Lenne is going to be on vacation. There are three different understudies for Dawn and they're all going to go on next week. It'll be fun. It'll keep me on my toes. I've already gone on with each Dawn understudy, and they all have their own unique take on the role. It'll be a fun adventure of a week.

What are you most excited to see or do when you're here in Chicago?

I mean, the food. That's what I've been told. The amazing food that is in Chicago. I'm going to try to eat my way. I'm shooting for probably 10-15 pounds of weight gain. I've never really been to Chicago, other than just passing through. I'll do some research probably a week before to figure out what I'm going to see. But food is on the top of my list.

In every city, it's food. I love finding a really cool speakeasy or a bar and getting a really cool cocktail, especially if there's a cocktail that's local and created in Chicago. We're in New Orleans right now so I wanted to get a Sazerac at the Sazerac Bar. I'll do my research and figure out what specific cocktails and food is local to Chicago.

I've been following along with Desi Oakley's video blog for Broadway.com, and one of the points that she's emphasized in her videos is the importance of staying healthy while on tour. What do you do in regards to self-care and staying healthy while on the road?

I try to get to the gym, work out, and make sure that I'm keeping active during the day. I'm trying to get to the gym or a class four times a week. It can be tough with rehearsal and travel, especially with one-week engagements because Monday is our travel day. Tuesday is our recovery day. I also try to stay hydrated. Trying to eat healthy while also trying foods in all the cities. And sleep is massively important.

In terms of vocal health, I always have a warm-up that I have been using with my voice teacher, who is a wizard of the voice. I do that every single show before I go on. It has helped me sing through sickness and health, when I'm tired. It's something that helps me stay on top of it so even when I'm exhausted, I can hold onto those exercises.

Can you share one of your favorite experiences from the tour so far?

This just jumped right into my head: When we were in Buffalo, the producers arranged a night for us to go curling. After the show, we went to this outdoor arena, and it was Buffalo in January so it was cold! We went outside, and we were literally taught how to curl. It was so cool. I've never been curling before. It was fun especially because I was watching the Olympics, and curling becomes this crazy fad that pops up every four years.

Also there are so many cities I'd never been to before. I was in Denver during New Year's Eve with my fiancée. We had a show that day, and then we got to walk down the streets of Denver and watch fireworks. Tour is about creating a family out here on tour and also maintaining a connection with the people back in New York. Finding that balance is really key.

What do you hope audiences take away from WAITRESS after they see it?

I think this show can affect so many different people. I think the important message of the show is that anybody who is in any sort of relationship where they feel like they're being taken advantage of in any way, that this show gives them the strength to make a change and make a change that empowers to do what they want and be who they want in their life. That's the really important message, the life changing message. There's been feedback from people who have come and seen the show and said "This show has helped save me. I' m leaving this relationship that has been abusive and I thank you WAITRESS for giving me that strength." That for me is the most empowering.

Beyond that, I hope people walk away from the show emotionally moved because Jenna's journey is such a beautiful one. I also hope they laughed a ton off along that journey. I think you get to feel changed and also entertained in a really beautiful way.

And finally, I know pie is central to the story of WAITRESS. What's your favorite kind of pie and why?

My favorite kind of pie is key lime pie and, very specifically, Steve's key lime pie in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The day before I left to do the show on tour, my fiancée Alex and I went on a little trip to Red Hook, Brooklyn. We went there and ate this delicious key lime pie, and it was this lovely, bittersweet day. Saying goodbye and going off to do a show is bittersweet. I'm excited to do the show, but also having to say goodbye is tough. I now have the emotional connection of this amazing, delicious pie to that day.

See Jeremy Morse as Ogie in Broadway In Chicago's engagement of WAITRESS, which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre from July 3-22. For tickets and more information, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.