The Waitress (Musical)

The Waitress (Musical)

The Waitress presents a film with musical lyrics by Sara Bareilles. The music Waitress is based on a movie of the same title ‘Waitress,’ which was conceptualized and performed in 2007. The film reveals the story of Jenna, a pregnant woman who is trapped in an abusive relationship without the future hope outside of false positivity. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she starts another love affair with Jim Pomatter, who is her gynecologist, thus severing her former relationship with the husband. Sara Bareilles has extensively used songs to disseminate the conditions surrounding  Jenna’s relationship. Some of the songs evidenced are; ‘The Negative,’ ‘Everything Changes,’ ‘She used to be mine,‘ and ‘What baking can do,’ among other songs.

Historical Background

With the historical background of Sarah Bareilles, the film has had a propulsive score and lyrics packed with nostalgia. Sarah Bareilles is well known as a songwriter and also a famous pianist. In the year 2016, she did an accomplishment to her roster feats, which was of a Broadway composer. “She wrote the Waitress’s music and lyrics based on the movie dated 2007. She earned the first Tony nod of her career for the best original score more than a week after Broadway opening of The Waitress in late April” (Collings 267). The release of the musical was officially confirmed in 2014, and it was announced that it should be to receive its world premiere at a theatre in America.

Initially, the show was trucking and raucous since Bareille’s lyrics would get lost under an overloud on-stage band and could not be believed in Jenna’s plight, which was pregnant and acted as the protagonist of the film. The grudging acceptance of Jenna relating to the impending motherhood is taken as painful, and also, the new love affair with her doctor terminates her old relationship. The performances, especially in Paulus productions, are taken as part of the appeal of the show. Katherine from New York cast endows Jenna with kindness, vulnerability as well as inbuilt sadness which finds release in her flings out of marriage. “Therefore, The Waitress film began its previews at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge. It made history broadly with four of the main critical parts in the show being held by women, including Paulus, Nelson, Bareilles, and Latarro”(Collings 266). Besides, those who directed the film were women as well, where Bareilles felt that she was proud to be part of the female crew.

Creative Process of the Composers

The composers of the song Waitress followed a particular creative process. The first screenplay by Nelson Jessie had been written about a group of Waitresses, a job that she had held for more than ten years. They reworked on it in a bid to make it more misogynistic after the song’s script had been handed off to the team of men. When The Waitress began previews, it was the first musical on Broadway to have the women the leading creative roles, which were music as well as lyrics, choreography and directing. Nelson was best known for writing and also leading the 2001 film and was among the four creative women in The Waitress. “Here is an intimate everyday story of the power of workplace friendships and the joys of pie-baking – but not, as you might fear, full of sugar but also contains quite a lot of spice.” (Steffen 278).

Others, including Tony-winning director Diane Paulus, Sara Bareilles, who was the songwriter and also Lorin Latarro, who was the team’s choreographer, had also participated in the Tony awards. Despite that the awards were dominated by women, it had been a long time since a female creative team had led a musical on Broadway. It was for the third time when Paulus was the only female director in Waitress on Broadway. The innovative female team was not something that Paulus, together with other members, had set out to do. All the songs of Sarah Bareilles were sang basing on the indie movie in 2007. Basing on the creation of the songs, Bareilles was first approached about the book and the musical during the time of her show ironically while she had been taking a mini-hiatus from the touring and recording. “I was hanging out with my sister” (Glenn, 132). Sarah vividly recalls when she had been contacted by Diane Paulus together with her literary agent, the director of Tony award-winning of the broadways revivals of Hair regarding Waitress. After watching it, she was immediately attracted to Jenna, who was an inventive pie maker and had been trapped in an abusive relationship and heroine. “There are real notes of anguish, and entrapment felt as we follow the experiences of a diner waitress called Jenna, who can bake multiple varieties of pies – but also finds herself unexpectedly with a bun in the oven.” (Phipps 163). Creating the songs from the Waitress made Bareilles realize how much she had grown since when she was a teen.

Music Accomplishments

For the composer Sarah Bareilles, there are several music accomplishments from the Waitress. A big part of what makes one fall in the musical comedy is the absolute stellar soundtrack from Bareille. The songs depicted in Waitress are seen to be heart-warming, hilarious, and also heart-breaking. They encompass everything that one would hope for from a musical and even the original cast recording of the Broadway.

Out of the songs in Waitress, there are the top three most touching songs and include ‘The Negative,’ ‘Everything Changes,’ ‘She used to be mine,‘ and ‘What baking can do.’ From all of the songs, the best one falls on the songs ‘She used to be mine, ‘which has been noted to be not only one of the best songs from the Waitress but also the best song in the world of the musical theatre. The number is undoubtedly a powerful work of art. The song’s lyrics grips hearts of so many people, nights after nights in the theatres on both sides of the pond, and also to further audience like where one could listen to the original cast recording of broadways. The song is full of pain and heartache, where everyone will find themselves relating in some way and thus many covers that have seen the song go viral many times in various ranges, and styles. Therefore it is true that the song ‘she used to be mine ‘shall remain a timeless classic even after the current productions in Waitress.

Another song by Sarah Bareilles is ‘What baking can I do.’ Jenna has been depicted throughout the Waitress, and the song is the one that gives all the moral lessons relating to the character. The song concentrates more on Jenna’s past as well as her love for pies. “It focuses that Waitress is more than the pie show and the character Jenna is more than the pie maker and even The Waitress. It is pies that makeup Jenna’s comfort and also escape” (Glenn, 137). Just as the iconic lyrics ‘flour, butter, and sugar, which one will find singing always. The song goes to the powerhouse high note from the gentle melodies, and this will leave one chilled to the bone.

‘The Negative‘ is also another musical in the Waitress, which follows closely on the story of Jenna Hunterson, pie extraordinaire, and a Waitress, together with her two friends Dawn and Becky, who are also waitresses. It is one few songs where they get to sing together along with the lies of ‘opening up’ and a soft place to the land. The songs have the power of making someone crack up, just like many songs on the soundtrack. “The lyrics give the audience or listeners a giggle showing a real insight into the three women’s friendship, which incorporates a perfect pie crust of the show’s foundation” (Glenn 137).

Impact of the Production

The production of the musical Waitress has been revealed to influence the people. Besides, by reading all about the incredible songs, has led to people hearing and seeing them being performed again by the west end cats to London’s Adelphi Theatre. Besides, from the songs in the Waitress, the harmonies and emotive lyrics will result in tearing up simultaneously, giving one a sense of empowerment. Each time Jenna carries something else to this tune, despite everything, she leaves away with that equivalent fire in her heart, and that is the reason it is the perfect tune to end on. Relating to the social justice component, the musical was also impactful. Jenna finds herself unenthusiastically pregnant, and even just when she thinks it cannot be worse.

Therefore, the story is aimed at exposing the ins and outs of the relationship between Jenna and Earl, her abusive husband. Most fundamentally, the story portrays a strong woman who is on the verge of breaking into pieces. She tries to pick herself up upon then unwanted pregnancy.  She loathes her condition until she ultimately gives birth. Upon giving birth, the girl decides to leave her prospective husband. Essentially, the newborn child becomes the beacon of hope to the vulnerable girl. The Waiter also depicts the vitality of friendships through presenting Jenna’s relationships with the fellow waitresses, particularly Joe, Becky and Dawn.

The story is female-centred. For instance, the portrayal of a female lead who, out of instinct, is not keen at putting her life aside to become a mother. The story also focuses on heartwarming female friendships and the statements on the empowerment of the females. For instance, the work critically undermines the failure by Waitress to deal with specific pertinent issues such as domestic violence within the society.

Conclusion

From the information above, the Film Waitress features an original score with the music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. The songs depicted in the film Waitress have the capability of eliciting various kinds of feelings. Therefore, as The Waitress has many songs contained in it like ‘the negative,’ ‘Everything Changes,’ ‘She used to be mine,’ and ‘What baking can do’ among other songs have different impacts and emotions that can be relayed to the audience. The singer-Sarah Bareilles uses various styles of creativity to create music making it more interesting.

Works Cited

Collings, Jane. “The Hollywood Waitress: A Hard-Boiled Egg and the Salt of the Earth.” The Hidden Foundation: Cinema and the Question of Class (2011): 264-83.

Glenn, Cerise L., and Michael C. Billington. ” Waitress review – bittersweet Broadway musical served warm in the West End” Journal of Black Studies 40.2 (2009):       135-152.  https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/mar/07/waitress-review-   Adelphi-London-cook-fling-doctor-broadway-musical

Phipps, Keith. “Waitress| Film| Movie Review.” (2007).

Steffen, Robert A. “The Case of the Grieving Waitress.” Lab. Stud. J. 14, (2005): 65.