''Waitress: The Musical: The Movie' doesn’t replace the need to watch 'Waitress: The Movie;' in fact, it proves why the original film remains so marvelous.' Read LegsFrank review:
came and went—to me, this feels like an increasingly popular business opportunity, more than actual art. The good news is that this recording of follows the same plot as, swapping Keri Russell out for pop artist/actor Sara Bareilles as pie-baking dreamer Jenna Hunterson. Jenna dreams of being more than a server at the diner, who goes home to her drunk, abusive husband Earl: She wants to leave this town and open a pie shop.
The film elevated its straightforward premise into something melancholically romantic and bleakly funny. Russell perfectly nailed the tonal balance; her exhaustion is palpable, her sharp tongue sanded down. It’s easy to imagine what Jenna would be like had life dealt her a better hand. great. But Bareilles’ and writer Jessie Nelson’s take on the late Adrienne Shelly’s original script broadens the action without shouting the emotion.
While editing out audience reactions to further fortify the distance between us at home and them would be unreasonable, their presence can be distracting. Sometimes, it even unwittingly highlights the weaknesses of both the show and its source material. One moment, in which Jenna shoots down an implied suggestion that she get an abortion, clarifying that she’s fully in support of people doing “that,” is a relic of the. Here, Jenna’s awkwardly articulated pro-choice stance elicits loud applause.
At the same time, the first act suffers when it cuts to footage shot handheld, which makes some scenes come off more as messy filmmaking than intimate character moments. And after Jenna performs her big Act 2 solo, the film cuts to a shot from behind her—the one time we do see the audience's faces, as they give Bareilles a deserved standing ovation that comes off as self-indulgent here.; in fact, it proves why the original film remains so marvelous.
But even if the musical’s attempt to give back to the medium that birthed the source material is uneven, it accomplishes its main, important goal: It will help more people see this wonderful piece of musical theater.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Waitress, The Musical – Live on Broadway!’ Review: A Heartfelt Reimagining Of Adrienne Shelly’s Indie Swan Song – Tribeca FestivalIn hindsight, it’s quite amazing that anyone could watch Adrienne Shelly’s final film as a director and see it as anything but a movie. It was a good one, a simple story about a small-town woman wh…
Read more »
Tour of Tina Turner musical gains extra meaning in the wake of icon's deathThe national tour of Broadway's 'Tina -- The Tina Turner Musical' makes its California debut this week, arriving as a poignant, posthumous celebration following the rock music icon's death last month.
Read more »
Six: The Musical coming to San Diego June 27The electrifying, Tony Award-winning pop musical 'Six: The Musical' is coming to the San Diego Civic Theater from June 27 to July 9.
Read more »
Sierra Boggess To Reprise Role In Barry Manilow-Bruce Sussman Broadway Musical ‘Harmony’Sierra Boggess will reprise her role as ‘Mary’ in the Broadway production of Harmony, the new musical by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman that premiered Off Broadway last spring. The Broadway stagin…
Read more »
'Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical' now playing at The Studebaker TheaterDirector Sheldon Epps talks about 'Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical,' which is now playing at The Studebaker Theater.
Read more »
Avatar Sequel Delays Into 2030s Has Everyone Already Feeling OldWith the announcement that Avatar 3, 4, and 5 have been delayed, fans are taking to social media to comment on how old they’ll be when the saga ends.
Read more »