Review: WAITRESS at Skylight Music Theatre

Just as the main ingredients of pie are – sugar, butter and flour. The main ingredients of “Waitress” – currently kicking off Skylight Music Theater’s 65th season – are imperfection, love and female solidarity. Topped with a sprinkle of naughtiness.

“Waitress” started its shift in 2007 as a movie and was transformed into a musical play in 2015 with music by Sara Bareilles. 

Jenna, a baker and waitress in a diner, is in an abusive relationship with her husband, She unexpectedly becomes pregnant and begins an affair with her doctor - who's as different from her husband as two men could be. Baking pies has long been her refuge and may be also be her escape.

Jenna, played Julia Levinson, is both the heart and voice of the story, but the supporting characters all have their moments to shine.

Levinson voice blends perfectly with that of Matthew Kacergis as the sweet, hapless Dr. Pomatter. Together their duets soar.

But the real love story is between Jenna and her two best friends – also waitresses at the diner. Raven Monique Dockery is all warmth and strength as Becky. Alex Merkel provides a balancing dose of delicate, whimsical energy as Dawn.

Dawn and Becky also find unexpected love - as the objects of their affection, Brade Bradshaw and Andrew Varela more than hold their own in the female-centric world of "Waitress."

The blending to the three voices is a musical celebration of the power of female friendship.

It’s Levinson’s solo of “She Used to be Mine,” that’s the showstopper, however. Longtime fans of this musical as well as those experiencing it for the first time will be blown away by Levinson’s powerful, poignant rendition.  

There is occasionally too much of a good thing – the orchestra and an early voiceover sometimes fought with the actors’ voices for dominance – the good news is the actors ultimately win.