Waitress Reviews

from Boston, Massachusetts

LOVED IT

I absolutely loved this show, especially since I saw it when Sara Bareilles was performing. Everything about it was incredible. I laughed and cried and had a great time. I definitely want to see it again because it changed my life and the singing was incredible. After i watched the show I listened to the soundtrack for a straight up month non-stop. That's how good it was! 6/5 stars

Linda C from San Francisco, CA

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS AGAIN!

This Tony nominated musical (up against Hamilton) showcases what Sara Bareilles does best - fantastic sing along melodies and lyrics that tell a story with poetry, humor, melancholy, and love. I was fortunate enough to see this with Sara B. in the role of Jenna but she wrote incredible songs for each cast member. Every song got a standing ovation during the show, which made the show run three hours, but it was one of the highlights of theatre for me and my son (right up there with seeing the original Broadway cast of Into The Woods with Sondheim and Lapine in conversation and Hamilton) Can't wait to see this again!

Tracy Smith from Fort Worth, Texas

SOOOO DELICIOUS!

Four of us saw Waitress this past Friday at Bass Hall in Ft. Worth. Bass Hall is wonderful & WE LOVED THE SHOW!! The entire ensemble was amazing & perfectly on point. The voices of the lead women melded & matched perfectly. Every singer was AMAZING!! We thought the setting & choreography were excellent. Everyone delivered a lovely, nuanced performance. It is enjoyable for ages 12 & up. We would DEFINITELY recommend this show! The ONLY criticism we all had (as well as others in the audience) was that the gain was up too high on the mics & the band overpowered the singers consistently. We probably missed more than half the lyrics to the songs, which was regrettable. Other than that, we loved ALL of the performance!! We decided we would definitely love to see this cast perform Waitress again soon!!

Keith O from Nashville, Tennessee

AMAZING NASHVILLE SHOW

Just saw the show in Nashville and absolutely loved it. Super funny, sad and entertaining. Music was great he lead's voice was spectacular! The entire cast was fantastic. Must see show!

Susan from Dallas, Texas

NO SURPRISE THAT NY IS BEST!

Saw in NY first with Jason Mraz and loved the energy. And just about everything. Huge long- time fan of Sara. Definitely not for kids based on adult content. Traveling show is great. Just needed a bit more energy and less southern accent emphasis while singing. Lead used speaking through her teeth as a heavy part of her southern accent. Not totally necessary. Tempo of music and dialogue were slower in Dallas. Lost the energy of some great songs and scenes. Finale was jumbled. Fair Park is a tough venue. Kinda have to sit on the floor midway to front to see. Might be better to see it at AT&T or Bass if it shows there.

from Boston, Massachusetts

VERY REALISTIC

Loved the musical.women - soft , sensitive and wow ,motherhood changes everything.great music, great presentation- simply loved it.I could sit for another hour.Awesome.Strong message for young girls everywhere - you have a right to dream and pursue your dream.

Carol Dykstra from Boston, Massachusetts

"WAITRESS"

"Waitress" is sweet, funny and poignant. The great actors and songs bring it to life. Too many laughs to count! For two hours I forgot about all the Bad Stuff Out There. And in Quiet moments the audience of over 2,600 was so Still you could hear a pin drop. Theatergoers know how to behave! Yes I would recommend it to anyone. Not to children under 12. Yes found good restaurant nearby

Beth from New York

EXCELLENT

Saw this show in New York Twice. I've seen just about every Broadway show and this is one of the top 5. If only Christopher Fitzgerald could have a permanent role as "Ogie." He is HYSTERICAL. Laugh out loud hysterical. But all of the cast were wonderful. I want to see it again.

Jeff from Austin, Texas

MAGNIFICENT

Attended the 2 PM today 1/26. Made me tear up in a good way many times. Just magnificent.

Gail Buzzotta from St. Louis, Missouri

LOVED EVERY MINUTE!

From start to finish, this musical was solid with all of the splendid characteristics of a great show! The performers were right on cue, even little Lulu (starring Penelope Garcia). Because the Fabulas Fox Theatre has excellent acoustics, the actors’ incredible voices were highlighted making the show even more enjoyable. And a bonus was having the band on stage with the performers. So glad Waitress came to St Louis ~ Big Thumbs Up!

Karen S. from Worcester, Massachusetts

SUPERB SHOW, EXCELLENT ACTING AND SINGING

The show was terrific! The acting was incredible! Although some serious subject matters, the overall tone was fun and the show had me laughing out loud often. The cast was perfect!

V from Cleveland, Ohio

INCREDIBLE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE AND HILARIOUS!

Waitress at Hanna Theater in Cleveland was phenomenal! The cast was incredibly talented and the acting on point! I connected with each character. I laughed and cried! I didn’t know what to expect, and am so glad I saw the show with my friends tonight! It was a dynamic feel good story with captivating characters. The acting, voices, the emotion and quality of each character was just outstanding! With such great weather, we were able to enjoy downtown after too!

Lee Barlow from London Adelphi Theatre, UK

THE MUCIAL TO SEE IN 2023!

Saw the Matinee performance Thursday July 21st 2022 14:30 hours - This musical blew me away!! I am sad to see it leaving London, as it was only a 2.5 hours train ride down there, but at least I get a chance to see it once more before it leaves. If you like the movie - this is a bucket list for you! No argument! You must see it. If you havent seen the movie or not over fussed about it, you will still LOVE this. The acting is excellent, really funny moments. The orcherstra were amazing, the songs are well done and well performed, the sets are epic and the whole thing is just the best family wholesome fun show to watch. I left the theatre in a total high and it really is deserving of all the praise and attention it's getting. It's been in London for awhile now, still selling out their shows and standing ovations... It's made me feel like watching the movies again!!

Cindy Stockly from Sacramento, California

WONDERFUL!!!

Four of us went to see Waitress on the 29th and we loved it. The acting, singing and choreography were outstanding. It was very well cast, the characters were all very believable. It made you laugh and cry and feel good at the end. I liked it, because it mpowers women. We would definitely recommend seeing Waitress !

Frank M from Portland, Oregon

SOLID PLAY BUT BE CAREFUL BUYING TICKETS

Most everyone has covered the actual play. I'm writing to inform others that the stage design makes a difference on seat choices. The diner's kitchen is to the far left.. If you sit in the far left orchestra section there will be parts of the action you can't see (even the furthest right seats of that section) and the sound to the far left of the left section is terrible. The stage design is a bit questionable - why have the band centered to the stage and a set element where action happens in a place where some patrons can't see the action?

Freeman from Washington, District of Columbia

FUN SHOW

Worth seeing for sure. Only disappointment is lead actress. Everyone else amazing.

Marcia B from Central Illinois

IT WAS WORTH THE DRIVE FROM CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Went with Niece and sister. All three loved the show. Lots of laughs. great stress reducer for us all. Go see it!

Trish Anderson from Wilmington, North Carolina

WAITRESS

The musical was delightful! we throughly enjoyed it. However, the downside is the audio @ The Wilson Center. We were seated on the aisle in the orchestra row p and literally had a terrible time understanding the lyrics of most of the numbers. The amplitude was fine but the clarity was not especially with the group numbers. This is not the first time this has occurred, it appears that it is an on going problem especially with the muscials..Also we heard several others remark about this situation. For the price of the tickets we will travel to DPAC or Blumenthal in the future. It is a shame because it is a lovely auditorium..

SLB from Scranton, Pennsylvania

WAITRESS IN SCRANTON

Cast was excellent. Scenery and choreography was top notch. Loved the music and the presentation. Only drawback is the theatre is quite run down and could use serious repair.

Marcuserroneous from Cleveland, Ohio

LESS THAN OVERWHELMED

The staging, costumes, singing and choreography were good. However, the story was ho-hum and only picked up after the intermission. The songs were forgettable. The only really memorable character was the nerdy guy. The show has a couple of songs and some dialog that are too raunchy for non-adults and one's mother. The Wed. evening show was sold out, but I guess not really for this show but for the Hamilton show it was bundled with.

Renay L from Thornhill, Ontario

WAITRESS

I saw the dramatic movie Waitress several years ago and remembered the main story line. The musical theatrical production of Waitress had a lot of comedic moments and I had a good laugh. I liked and enjoyed the show, since I didn't have great expectations. Also, this was a good show to see as summer soon ends. Overall, however, Waitress is a B-rated Broadway musical.

Kimble Slaton from Vicksburg MS

TECH SCREWED THIS ONE UP FOR ME

The Strand Shreveport is a magnificent venu. I had never been to a broadway production so my family drove 3 hrs to see Waitress. I was astounded, as a techy, to see equipment rigs outside rivaling a concert tour. We sat in the middle balcony and was discussing the tremendous line array system on either side of the stage. I thought this might be a touch overkill. When the show started we were sadly disappointed that we couldn’t understand a work the cast was saying and it got worse when the band played. I will assume it sounded fine at the mix position but was useless in the balcony, even with speakers aimed that way. Lighting was good but sound screwed this cast out of a stellar performance. Do everything you do excellent, every time.

Marie Karan from Allen, Texas

UNDERWHELMED

I had wanted to see Waitress for a long time because I love Sara Bareilles and her music. Unfortunately, I missed Sara in it when I was in New York last year; but I saw it at the Winspear in Dallas. Most of the songs were lackluster except for “She Used to be Mine”, and I found it was difficult to make out what people were saying even tho we had great orchestra seats. I thought at times the cast was singing flat, and even the band did not sound as professional as I would have expected. Most of the traveling Broadway shows are close to what I would expect to see on Broadway; but not this one. I rarely feel this way about a show, but I have to be honest; I was disappointed.

David from Tucson, Arizona

WAITRESS

Sound quality was horrible. Could not hear the majority of spoken word. Overall it was so so. Would not recommend it as a musical.

Paul from Chicago, Illinois

BLAH

Although the voices were good enough, the music was forgettable and the story was not very interesting. Didn't really connect with any of the characters, especially the lead. Unlike most of the musicals I've seen there is not one song I'd be interested in hearing again on a soundtrack.

David Silverman from Washington, District of Columbia

THIS WAS LIKE WATCHING A CARTOON WITH CARTOON CHARACTERS.

I have seen a lot of shows, both on Broadway and here in DC. As far as shows go, this one was (unfortunately) closer to the bottom than the top. The story was predictable, the songs were forgettable and the acting was way over the top for no apparent reason. Just like the skits in Saturday Night Live always go on longer than they should, all of the actions and reactions are overblown as if the audience is a mile away and could not otherwise see what is in front of them. If the characters had merely acted like normal human beings, this play could have been much better and the characters more relatable. But as presented, it was like watching a cartoon with cartoon characters. The one bright spot was Desi Oakley's singing (she plays the lead, Jenna). She has a phenomenal voice...even better than the leads we saw in Les Mis. I would love to hear more of that, whether she is acting or just being herself.

Patty L from Vancouver, British Columbia

SERIOUS ISSUES NOT FUNNY

We came to be entertained but found the stories and characters out dated and offensive. When Earl slings Jenna over his shoulder for "marital ____". We felt serious issues are not entertainment or a laughing matter especially as there are women that continue to face abuse daily. We really wanted to enjoy the show, rationalize the story lines and not be "downers" about it but just couldn't wrap our heads around the messaging so we googled the ending online and made the decision to leave at the intermission.

Elle from Vancouver, British Columbia

OK, BUT NOT DEFINITELY NOT GREAT.

A friend and I (both huge fans of Sara Bareilles and her work) went to see Waitress at the QE Theatre in Vancouver and within the first 3 minutes of the curtain rising were already disappointed. The singing was pitchy and the harmonies garbled. Many of the lead solo singers seemed to be belting so hard that all emotion was lost from the songs and it actually made it difficult to understand the lyrics. There was also zero chemistry between the two romantic leads. It was so disappointing we momentarily considered leaving at intermission but stayed only with the hope that the rendition of "She Used to Be Mine" would redeem the whole experience. It did not. The musical itself is cute and humorous, but I wouldn't recommend going to see it with this cast.

Kim from Lakeland, Florida

OK

Based on prior reviews I thought this was going to knock my socks off, but it did not. It was somewhat boring. It has a good story line behind it, but was never built up. Did she win the pie contest? No dancers, no group nothing. I really enjoy the group dancing and singing in a play. This did not meet those expectations. Sound quality was poor for some characters. We could not hear them and we were not sitting that far back. Disappointed in show but will try again. I did enjoy the venue.

Joe Methe from Lincoln, Nebraska

FIRE THE SOUND MIXER

Great voices, great character development, excellent scene changes (almost ballet), costume, lights were spot on. The sound mix was very, very poor. I felt bad for all the rest the team because you could not understand the words. And if I can’t understand you, I can’t care about what you are trying to convey to me. Very disappointed.

Kevin Curran from Louisville, Kentucky

POOR SOUND PROBLEMS CONTINUE

This was the first performance in over 600 days at the KY Center for the Arts. Looking forward to the play. The sound quality was poor at best. Unable to understand the vocals which made for a disappointed experience. The complaints about the sound quality at other venues seem to be ongoing and have apparently not been successfully addressed.

Nancy Barnwell from Colorado Springs, Colorado

AMATEUR

Was like a high school production. Very woke. Used crass language. Immoral. Celebrating sleeping around. Not up lifting. I want to be entertained not leave with a heavy heart. Please bring better productions. We are paying for quality. We took friends and I was embarrassed. I hope you have a better line up for next year. Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Chicago, Sound of Music, Jersey Boys, to name a few.

Not a fan from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

VERY DISAPPOINTED

What a disappointment. I took my mom & sister for what I thought was going to be a very entertaining night. Everything about the show was sexual. Several scenes of characters having sex in the diner and Gyno office. The abusive husband story line was nothing but depressing. Two married couples were having marital affairs which is not ok. Did I mention the doctor eating pie out of her crotch? I was never so embarrassed to be sitting there watching this with my mother next to me. The show was raunchy and depressing. The only enjoying part was the nerdy guy dating one of the waitresses.

JANE from CLEBURNE TX

DISAPPOINTED

Never have we experienced such a disappointing musical performance at the Bass as we did this afternoon! "Waitress' certainly speaks poorly of the newer generation--crude language and subject matter left us cold. Nothing of the entertainment quality that we have for so many years respected at the Bass. Surely our city and citizens expect better and you can do better. Only positive that I can give about the show was the talented dancer who married one of the waitresses....he was funny and the only spot that won our group's applause.

Gail T. from West Palm Beach, Florida

BORING...

As a theatre goer for many years, I found this production lacking in many areas. Story was boring, songs lackluster, singing ok, not great. Found very little humor. I wish I had seen it on Broadway, it's hard to believe it could have been so much better.

Peter wise from Thornhill, Ontario

A TERRIBLE PLAY

There is nothing nice to say. The music was bland, the lyrics poor and the energy of the actors was mechanical and obvious. The singing was so bad I was immediately turned off. All the female singers sounded nasally and Whitney. The acting was mechanical, everything was too false to make any sense of it being appealing. We left at half time along with out friends who shared the same view. A total waste of money.

Amsterdam from Toronto, Ontario

HOT GARBAGE

First time I’ve ever left at intermission. My wife and I both hated it. So slow, so boring. I guess I like to eat pie, not hear songs about it. Can I give less than 1 star?

Disappointed in from Vancouver, British Columbia

DISJOINTED, BORING, 'SAFE', AND STEREOTYPICAL

Worst broadway show I've seen so far. Hubby and I barely made it back for the second act. The characters seemed to be all acting in separate plays, the voices were mediocre, and none of the characters were remotely believable or interesting. While I appreciate a good comedy or a musical or play that tackles a heavy topic, Waitress didn't seem to know which way to go with it. The comedic parts were over acted and incongruent with the serious undertones that were never fleshed out to make any poignant statements. The message seemed to say that women need to find a man and that cheating is okay when life gets tough. While I realise all this happens in 'real life', it wasn't treated as such in the least in this musical. I'd rather it have been a comedy all the way through. The title "Waitress" is grossly misleading. I was looking forward to a comedy about the restaurant/serving industry. Save your money.

Rudolph from Calgary, Alberta

IMMORALITY DOES NOT EQUAL EMPOWERMENT

Since when do we SING about/celebrate abuse?Since when is Adulterous behaviour outside of marriage the solution for Abuse within marriage ?(Main character) Or when does assuming your male boss’s wife is gay, make it okay to seduce him and fornicate? (Second lead character) I MIGHT be able to understand the play in the context of a comedy, but this just lacks better judgment. The performing arts have such an opportunity to grow community and promote good things. How this show ever got to the stage is beyond me. Recommend it for my mother? No! Recommend it for my Children? No! Our seats? The view: Great! (Jubilee Auditorium-Calgary-Right side on a small balcony.) Sound? Terrible. So much of the sound was not crisp, making it impossible to make out a lot of the words which were being sung. Clearly got the drift of the musical -there was little left to the imagination. The Cast? The Old man-quiet voice, but the orchestra turned the volume down for him. He was the real “un(der)sung hero”.

Elaine from Saint Paul, Minnesota

WAITRESS, JUST AWFUL

This is unworthy of the Ordway! I have never left a performance not taking a copy of the program with me as a loving souvenir...this time I left my program behind. The low brow humor, raunchy scenes, underwhelming choreography and normalizing of immoral, unethical behavior left me wishing I had never purchased the $140 tickets (x 2). I considered leaving at intermission, but stayed, but which I had left ...second act I was saying to myself "take me out of this misery".

from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

COMPLETELY FORGETTABLE

i love musicals and have seen most but this was the worst one I have seen for a very long time. I considered leaving at intermission. Poor story-line, forgettable music and lyrics, occasional funny moments but generally rather dull and disappointing.

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