THE 5th AVENUE THEATRE "Waitress" March 11 - March 30, 2025 Review
WAITRESS
Book by Jessie Nelson
Music and Lyrics by Sarah Bareilles
Music Director: Matthew Antonio Perri
Director and Choreographer: Lisa Shriver
The 5th Avenue Theatre
Seattle, WA
March 14, 2025 Evening Performance - Opening Night/Media Night
The opening of “Waitress” was highly anticipated by many, this reviewer included. The popular musical hit the stage this past Friday evening to a packed house of musical theatre (and pie) lovers.
The story of Jenna (Kerstin Anderson) and her small town life working in a diner is familiar and relatable. Her co-workers Dawn (Tori Gresham) and Becky (Porscha Shaw) are her support group, along with Joe (Allen Fitzpatrick) and eventually Dr. Pomatter (Adam Standley).
The songs are already there in this musical. Sarah Bareilles knocked it out of the park with her sensitive and empowering music and lyrics. The story by Jessie Nelson is translated well from the original film source by the late Adrienne Shelly.
Off the top of my bald head, Ogie (Kennedy Kanagawa) stole the show with his comedy, physical and comedic timing, and basically everything he did in the production. He was magnificent as Dawn’s future boyfriend/husband Ogie.
I’ve seen Porscha Shaw (as Becky) in several productions and she always delivers. When she is in the cast, the show just got better automatically.
Allen Fitzpatrick (as Joe) really played the character with great emotion and depth. His veteran acting skills were evident from the moment he stepped on stage.
Of course Kerstin Anderson as Jenna was pretty much in every scene in the musical. Her acting was top notch and she sang her ass off on every tune. One aspect I admired was that she really stayed in character while singing any of the songs during both Act I and Act II. I’ve noticed in other shows lately that once a song comes up, some actors drop their character and just sing the song like they’re at a concert. Kerstin didn’t do anything of the sort. She was Jenna on stage both when she was acting and singing. She was top notch.
The sets, backgrounds, and movable pieces brought the show to life and were seamlessly integrated into the production.
Let me tell you - the 5th Avenue Theatre had a hit on their hands with, “Mary Poppins” and now they have another hit on their hands with, “Waitress”.
Recommended!
“Waitress” runs through March 30th. Purchase tickets: HERE!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
Book by Jessie Nelson
Music and Lyrics by Sarah Bareilles
Music Director: Matthew Antonio Perri
Director and Choreographer: Lisa Shriver
The 5th Avenue Theatre
Seattle, WA
March 14, 2025 Evening Performance - Opening Night/Media Night
(Porscha Shaw, Kerstin Anderson, and Tori Gresham in Waitress at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo Credit: Photo by Tracy Martin. Courtesy of The 5th Avenue Theatre)
The opening of “Waitress” was highly anticipated by many, this reviewer included. The popular musical hit the stage this past Friday evening to a packed house of musical theatre (and pie) lovers.
The story of Jenna (Kerstin Anderson) and her small town life working in a diner is familiar and relatable. Her co-workers Dawn (Tori Gresham) and Becky (Porscha Shaw) are her support group, along with Joe (Allen Fitzpatrick) and eventually Dr. Pomatter (Adam Standley).
The songs are already there in this musical. Sarah Bareilles knocked it out of the park with her sensitive and empowering music and lyrics. The story by Jessie Nelson is translated well from the original film source by the late Adrienne Shelly.
Off the top of my bald head, Ogie (Kennedy Kanagawa) stole the show with his comedy, physical and comedic timing, and basically everything he did in the production. He was magnificent as Dawn’s future boyfriend/husband Ogie.
I’ve seen Porscha Shaw (as Becky) in several productions and she always delivers. When she is in the cast, the show just got better automatically.
Allen Fitzpatrick (as Joe) really played the character with great emotion and depth. His veteran acting skills were evident from the moment he stepped on stage.
Of course Kerstin Anderson as Jenna was pretty much in every scene in the musical. Her acting was top notch and she sang her ass off on every tune. One aspect I admired was that she really stayed in character while singing any of the songs during both Act I and Act II. I’ve noticed in other shows lately that once a song comes up, some actors drop their character and just sing the song like they’re at a concert. Kerstin didn’t do anything of the sort. She was Jenna on stage both when she was acting and singing. She was top notch.
The sets, backgrounds, and movable pieces brought the show to life and were seamlessly integrated into the production.
Let me tell you - the 5th Avenue Theatre had a hit on their hands with, “Mary Poppins” and now they have another hit on their hands with, “Waitress”.
Recommended!
“Waitress” runs through March 30th. Purchase tickets: HERE!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
(Porscha Shaw, Kerstin Anderson, Tori Gresham, and Kennedy Kanagawa in Waitress at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo Credit: Photo by Mark Kitaoka. Courtesy of The 5th Avenue Theatre.)
Comments
Post a Comment