Beck Center/BWMT production of ‘Waitress’ is a delightful slice of life

PIE! This all powerful word guarantees to bring a smile to everyone’s face. It evokes childhood memories, holiday dinners with the family and the joy of raiding the nocturnal icebox. Pie is the central theme of the romcomdrom (romance-comedy-drama) musical “Waitress” now on stage at the Beck Center for the Arts in cooperation with Baldwin Wallace Musical Theater Department.

Jenna (Jaedynn Latter) is the head pie maker at Joe’s Pie Diner (and the reason for its success). She works with her good friends Becky (Jai McAllister) who is a smoldering firework ready to explode and Dawn (Kate Magocsi) a shy self conscience sort. They are bossed by Cal (Evan Lilienthal) whose bark is worse than his bite.

As the name reveals, Joe’s Pie Diner specializes in pies. Each and every day Jenna comes in early to bake the twenty some masterpieces of bakery perfection as well as a “Pie of the Day” with odd mixes of ingredients as well as an even odder name depending on her mood and what is happening in her life.

Such delights as White Knuckle Cream Pie, Betrayed By My Eggs Pie, Deep Dish Blueberry And Bacon Pie, Believe Again Poppy Seed and Ginger Pie, Live Your Life Pie, Little Wild Wild Berry Pie, In The Dark Dark Chocolate Pie, Gingersnap Out Of It Pie, Jenna’s Devil Food Oasis Pie, Lonely Chicago Pie and Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness Pie are invented and baked by Jenna and devoured by the various patrons.

Each day, Joe (Matthew Wright) the curmudgeon who owns most of the town and surrounding territory stops in for his feed (always ordering one odd item on a separate plate) as well as the pie of the day. Jenna takes on the thankless job of being his waitress as the old man airs their shared horoscope and his complaints du jour.

After bouts of morning sickness Jenna is talked into taking a home pregnancy test by Becky and Dawn which comes out positive much to her dismay. Jenna is in an abusive marriage to Earl (Jack Borenstein) and holds back revealing her situation to her husband. In order to verify the home test results she makes an appointment with her long time female gynecologist (who had delivered her) bringing her a Mermaid Marshmallow Pie. Much to Jenna’s surprise her familiar gynecologist has retired with a young male Dr. Pomatter (Elliot Block) taking the practice over. Although he has sworn off sugar, the good doctor samples a small bit of the Mermaid with predictable results.

In spite of their best efforts, something clicks and the two fall into a fierce and consummating affair (I Want To Play Doctor With My Gynecologist Pie). The doctor’s nurse Norma (Grace Pressley) is well aware of the affair and makes hilarious cutting remarks concerning it. Meanwhile back at the diner Dawn has posted on a dating site and in spite of a list of odd hobbies manages to get a response from Ogie (Dakota Renteria) whose hobbies equals Dawn’s in strangeness all the while Becky has started a wild affair with Cal.

This cooperative effort with Baldwin Wallace University is the final production between the two entities after a fourteen year history. Starting next year Victoria Bussert and her team will be taking their world class musical theater program and working out of the highly esteemed Oberlin University.

So how does this production size up? In a word it is delicious. The show hits on all of the emotions as you fall in love, laugh and cry along with the cast. Jaedynn Latter as Jenna is superb with her fresh approach to the role. Dakota Renteria as Ogie and Kate Magocsi as Dawn are perfect as the “odd couple” with their various antics and numbers. Jai McAllister as Becky is all sass and brass and her fiery affair with Evan Lilienthal as Cal is priceless. Matthew Wright shines as Joe as the crusty old man with a heart of gold. Grace Pressley as Nurse Norma hits all the comic marks with her asides. Elliot Block is masterful with his rehearsed hesitant speech pattern that simply adds to his appeal. Lastly, Jack Borenstein as Earl (the man you love to hate) does a perfect job as overbearing yet at times sensitive husband.

There are actually two casts alternating performances throughout the run. Opening night saw the Cherry Pie Cast with the Apple Pie cast set to appear every other evening. All performances will feature Matthew Wright as Joe, Jack Borenstein as Earl and Grace Pressley as Nurse Norma. The six piece orchestra is superb and consists of Matthew Webb (Piano/Conductor), Hannah Benjamin (Cello), Michael Simile (Guitar), Jesse Hodgson (Guitar), Jason Stebelton (Bass) and Reece Clements (Drums).

The set design by Jeff Herrmann is ingenious with the diner smoothly shifting to doctor office, kitchen and house trailer. Choreographer Lauren Marousek has the students dancing up a storm on stage that is brilliantly lit by Trad A. Burns. The Sound Design by Angie Hayes is crisp and sharp (something not always evident in the Senney Theatre). Costume Designer Tesia Dugan Bensen has everyone outfitted in their appropriate garb. Lastly, Victoria Bussert does a superb job of directing.

This is a delightful show that hits all of the emotional marks while taking us on a great ride. If you had seen this show downtown at Playhouse Square as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series you would find this production equal if not better. A fun evening for all who love pie.

The Beck Center for the Arts in cooperation with the Baldwin Wallace Musical Theatre Program production of “Waitress” will be on stage through March 9, 2025. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.beckcenter.org/ or call (216) 521-2540.