"Waitress," show #909

Serving up a delicious Central Valley premiere is Good Company Players’ production of Waitress, an adaptation of the 2007 Keri Russell-led film of the same name. With music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and book by Jessie Nelson, audiences are treated to well-composed harmonies, impactful lyrics, and a story that, when a deft team and cast are put in place, provides laughter, contemplation, and satisfies the hopeless romantic craving many people have where love–or lust–sought after, at any cost, is worth pursuing. Director Elizabeth Fiester has helmed this production which allows for personality, comedic timing, and extremely well-paced scene work to elevate the material in a most entertaining fashion.

 (Meg Clark (Jenna) and Jonathan Wheeler (Dr. Pomatter); Photo source: Good Company Players)

Meg Clark expertly leads the production as Jenna, lead waitress/baker, and occasional soliloquizer to the audience, a multi-demanding acting role that is balanced wonderfully with her effective charisma and stellar vocals. Clark’s voice, whether in duet, group, or solo, pairs superbly with the score, with “What Baking Can Do” serving as a fun upbeat of an I Want song. The Torch song, “She Used to be Mine,” lauded by many and certainly the most sweeping of tunes in the score, is given the emotionally driven care and acting-driven performance needed to make it more than just a showcase for a strong singer, all of which Clark is. Her chemistry and whimsical knack for delivering Jenna’s side comments, praise, and darker responses to certain situations are all authentic in nuance and garnering the empathy needed to make Jenna one to root for. Playing well off Clark is an utterly charming, goofily awkward in the best sense of the term, Jonathan Wheeler, as Dr. Pomatter. Wheeler and Clark team up for a swell “It Only Takes a Taste,” but it’s in their book scenes where the slow burn picks up rather rapidly and intensely, all in a believable manner.

(L to R: Janet Glaude (Becky), Meg Clark (Jenna), and Kaitlyn Wheeler (Dawn); Photo source: Good Company Players)

Janet Glaude and Kaitlyn Wheeler provide scene-stealing support as Jenna’s co-worker waitresses, Becky and Dawn, respectively. Wheeler’s nerdy disposition delivery as Dawn is a welcomed set up to her eventual beau, Ogie, played by a devastatingly earnest, dorky, and laugh-a-minute Michael Fidalgo. They pair as well as hot pie and cold ice cream, making Ogie’s opening solo, “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me” a show-stopping comedic number, executed fabulously by Fidalgo and company. Their act two turn at “I Love You Like a Table” is given as much eager romantic energy required, and makes them a great couple to root for. Glaude’s vocal chops shine in her act two opener, “I Didn’t Plan It,” while her lambast-ridden chemistry with Brian Rhea’s bombastic, dry-humor aficionado Cal is tempered with precise comic delivery and physical takes that make this pair a delightful comedic relief within the musical comedy itself. 

(Janet Glaude (Becky) and Michael Fidalgo (Ogie); Photo source: Good Company Players)

Benjamin Geddert does his darndest to make the strikingly two-dimensional Earl, the abusive, loser husband to Jenna, work, but has quite the hill to climb. What is apparent in Waitress is the book’s need to justify the multiple affairs going on, and without that truly being explicitly earned on the page or in song, it’s up to the cast and director to get the audience on their side as characters so the infidelities are as looked over as an oatmeal raisin cookie in front of a lover for chocolate chip. Earl gets absolutely zilch to redeem him–not that he needs it–nor a reason as to why he is the way he is. It simply comes down to the role being underwritten, even though Geddert’s song, “You Will Still Be Mine” does a lot of work for the Earl’s justification, it never quite lands. Patrick Tromborg gives the calm seasoned demeanor to Joe that the musical calls for, and is plated perfectly, reaching a peak of tenderness in his turn at a riveting, emotionally tender “Take it From an Old Man.”

Bringing the visual of the score to a triumph is Malinda Asbury’s storytelling-focused choreography. With enough side helpings of reprises, musical soliloquies, and the traditional dance numbers, Asbury stages some seriously exquisite moves, utilizing the tight, uniformly talented ensemble finely and effectively, whether it be to backup Jenna, shift diner equipment, or simply add to what the lyrics are depicting. The dance numbers themselves are formationally sound and executed with an energy that draws the audience into the diner, as if we’re being treated to both a meal and a show; the great reality, of course, being that at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theatre, that is precisely what you’re getting: a great show, a great meal, and great service. With just two weeks left, reserve your table, order your favorite dish off the menu, and sit back to enjoy this excellent production of Waitress.