If the heat in the kitchen is getting you down, you’ll want to head on over to La Mirada Theatre, where the Broadway hit Waitress opens tonight and plays through October 13. Designed by an all-female creative team and featuring Jessie Mueller in its 2016 premiere, it received a Tony nomination for Best Musical (but that was the year of Hamilton).
A sensation on Broadway, Waitress was inspired by the film of the same name, written by Adrienne Shelly, whose lamentable murder prior to the film’s release made national headlines. With tongue-in-cheek humor, the film explores the quiet desperation of an unhappily pregnant greasy-spoon server. It doesn’t shy away from facing heavy subjects head-on, including domestic abuse, adultery, and the feeling that women should put the needs of men before their own desires. Although it has a happy ending, it steers into the skids along the way.
The musical skirts around the much of the grit. With a book by Jessie Nelson and music & lyrics by Sara Bareilles, the stage version concentrates on the heartfelt aspects, with stellar musical numbers and tray after tray of creatively inspiring pies. Waitress gets big tips for its cheeky working girl ethos, bawdy humor, and a soaring song about self-discovery, “She Used to Be Mine.”
Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts which mirror her topsy-turvy life, such as “The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie” and “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.” When a baking contest in a nearby county — and a satisfying run-in with someone new — show Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness.
Waitress walks the line between musical revue in the vein of Pump Boys and Dinettes and a musical drama about challenges faced by proletariat American women.
photos by Jason Niedle
Waitress
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada
Thurs at 7:30; Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 1:30 & 6:30
ends on October 13, 2024
for tickets, call 562.944.9801 or visit La Mirada Theatre
SPECIAL “WAITRESS”-THEMED EVENTS TO INCLUDE:
PIE EATING CONTEST
Sunday, September 29 at 5 pm
Watch three lucky audience members put their taste buds to the test as we celebrate Jenna’s pie-making prowess with this pre-show pie-eating contest. Each contestant will have three minutes to eat as much delicious WAITRESS pie as possible, with the winner receiving the grand prize: a pair of tickets to see Fiddler on the Roof at La Mirada Theatre with Tony Award-winner Jason Alexander. Come early to the theatre to enter our raffle for a chance to participate. Three lucky entrants will be chosen to compete in the pie-eating contest on the gorgeous new patio.
SING ALONG TO “SARA” WITH KARA KARAOKE
Sunday, October 6 at 5 pm
Sugar, butter, Sara, and karaoke before the evening performance on Sunday, October 6. Join your fellow music lovers on the outdoor patio for this La Mirada Theatre fan-favorite event. Hosted by Kara Karaoke.
THE GREAT LA MIRADA THEATRE PIE BAKE-OFF
Final Judging – Saturday, October 12 at 7 pm
Calling all bakers! Do you have what it takes to win? ‘The Great La Mirada Theatre Bake-Off’ will provide local amateur bakers the opportunity to showcase their talents and win great prizes. Enter online beginning September 9 for a chance to present your pie to an esteemed panel of professional judges before the October 12 evening performance of WAITRESS.
Prospective entrants must submit their recipe via Google Form and answer the question: “What Does Baking Mean To You?” This is an amateur-only event. Application submissions will be open until midnight on Monday, September 30. Finalists will be notified by Friday, October 4, and will have 48 hours to confirm their spot in the final judging. Three finalists will be selected to bake two pies each and bring them to La Mirada Theatre.
All finalists will receive a pair of tickets to the evening performance of WAITRESS on Saturday, October 12. Finalists must commit to being available the night of the final judging. The winner will receive fabulous WAITRESS merchandise and an exclusive “Meet & Greet” with the stars of WAITRESS.
