Millennial Notes

Sara Bareilles’ Songs Capture Beauty in Life’s Messiness

by Isa S. Chu

San Francisco Playhouse’s “Waitress” is the perfect pie, with a buttery crust made of friendship and empowerment, all tangled in the messy ways we love.

The filling, a rich blend of hardworking women and their stories, is topped with the latticework of Sara Bareilles’ sensitive lyrics and music. Her toe-tapping melodies capture our deepest anxieties hidden behind polished smiles.

Entering, we’re greeted with the nostalgic scent of pie … unless I imagined it. The vibe is baked into every inch of the pastel pink and blue set of Joe’s Pie Diner.

We follow a waitress, Jenna (delightful Ruby Day), as she grapples with an unexpected pregnancy, an abusive marriage, and fragile hopes for a better future. Swift, strategic vignettes show that Jenna, like her mother, makes pies to assert control in a unfair world.

Day delivers a masterful performance, capturing Jenna’s dreams and heartaches. As she pours her soul into “She Used to Be Mine,” hearts open wide.

As Earl, Jenna’s controlling husband, Ben Euphrat nails ‘loathsome,’ perfectly. After losing his job, he sponges off Jenna and demands that she prefer him to their unborn child. Earl’s dependency fuels our hatred, making Jenna’s evolution as a working woman even more satisfying.

Infidelity weaves through “Waitress,” another lens to explore the unfairness. As the tender, charming Dr. Pomatter, Zeke Edmonds’ soaring tenor voice opens doors to escape. His love for Jenna, complicated by his own marriage, adds moral tension and doubt.

Dorian Lockett and Tanika Baptiste, as Cal and Becky, are also entangled in love, despite being married. They stick with their spouses out of love and a sense of responsibility. Their sharp banter and sizzling chemistry crackle every time they’re onstage. Romance is hard to fit into all these demanding working lives.

As Dawn, Sharon Shao is delightfully quirky, with the anxious energy of a romantic trying to protect her heart. As Ogie, Michael Parrott wins us over. He struts onstage with a sweater vest tucked into his pants, the soul of ‘down-home.’ These rich romances reminds us that love can show up in the most unlikely places. And sometimes it’s worth giving that spark a second chance.

Special care thrives in “Waitress,” from crystal-clear sound design to the engagement of an intimacy director. Every moment—especially the darker ones—is handled with focus and respect.

Scenic transitions flow as fluidly as a video cross-fade. Director Susi Damilano fits the parts together seamlessly. She beautifully integrates Nicole Helfer’s choreography into delicious pie action. Dancing pies and their makings float around Jenna, while she develops new recipes and fresh dreams.

All the elements work together like a fine recipe. Damilano keeps our focus is on the sweet story, blending harmonies like fine piecrust.

“Waitress” reflects a slice of life that lingers long after the final curtain. It’s a reminder that working life, like pie, is far from perfect. But every bite, every moment, is  still worth savoring—maybe even improving. Come and smell the aroma!

“Waitress” —music & lyrics by Sara Bareilles, book by Jessie Nelson, based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, directed by Susi Damilano, music direction by Dave Dobrusky, choreography by Nicole Helfer, scenic design by Jaquelyn Scott, costumes by Kathleen Qiu, lighting by Michael Palumbo, sound by James Ard, at S.F. Playhouse, San Francisco.

Info: sfplayhouse.org – to January 18, 2025.

Cast: Malia Abayon, Tanika Baptiste, Jordan Covington, Ruby Day, Zeke Edmonds, Ben Euphrat, Dorian Lockett, Ash Malloy, Louis Parnell, Michael Parrott, Sharon Shao, Lucca Troutman, Sophia Cooper, Kili Frasconi Currier, Colette Endter, Felicity Endter, Rourke O’Malley, Milo Boland, Sam Faustine, Kipp Glass, Albert Hodge, Alexandra Rivers, Shaneen Black, Randy Lee, and Emma Roos.

Banner photo: Tanika Baptiste, Ruby Day, & Sharon Shao. Photos: Jessica Palopoli