Review: WAITRESS at the John W. Engeman Theater

By: Andrew J. Koehler, Broadway World

It’s no secret that the right ingredients, and a touch of heart, make the best pies. WAITRESS at the John W. Engeman Theatre in Northport is a very strong representation of this notion.

WAITRESS is a musical that premiered on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre (now named the Lena Horne Theatre) in 2016. With a book by Jessie Nelson and a score by Sara Bareilles, the show stayed on Broadway until 2020, closing prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It had an additional run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in 2021. 

Director Marc Tumminelli provides a staging that is refreshing. Tumminelli kept the cast moving, thus keeping the story progressing. This attention to pacing allowed for the audience to be brought into the world of the show, not only the story. Thanks to his direction, each actor delivered a performance that was as intricate as one of “Jenna’s” pies. “Jenna’s Mom” made more appearances in this production, further amplifying “Jenna’s” connection to the one she loved, and missed, the most. Garret Healey, the production’s music director, provided an excellent pit band, with knockout performances from the singers. Healey’s musical direction offered the smoothest of transitions between spoken dialogue and singing, wonderfully exemplifying why a character starts to sing in the first place; because spoken word is no longer enough to make their point. Felicity Stiverson’s choreography is awe inspiring, seamlessly transitioning from everyday movement to beautiful choreography. Stiverson created movement grounded in harmony and fluidity, with each piece of choreography leading the actors to move as a unit, defining what it takes to truly work as an ensemble, not a bunch of solo dancers in a group. Dustin Cross’ costuming creates a world that is both beautiful and relatable. Each character on stage had a distinct clothing palette, rather than becoming different people each time they were in the diner, further emphasizing the “small-town” aspect of the show. Scenic design was provided by Kyle Dixon, and it was immaculate. The attention to detail further enhanced that this could be any diner in the south (as it’s never stated exactly where), complete with building façade’s being  outside of the diner, containing architecture very common in the southern United States, namely Georgia. John Burkland’s lighting design found beauty in simplicity, efficiently keeping the audience aware of if we were in the mind of “Jenna,” or her outside world. The diner lights even changed color to align with what was going on in the rest of the show.