PCPA “summer stock” at the Solvang Festival Theater kicks off with the popular Sara Bareilles musical, Waitress. In the show, waitresses Jenna, Dawn, and Becky are best friends working in a small-town diner. Dawn (Natalie Mara) is sweet and shy, and struggles with confidence and self-expression. Jenna (Molly Dobbs) is a baker who makes gorgeous pie art as an escape from the misery of her toxic home life. Becky (Bethany Thomas) serves as a wise, older-sister figure.
When Jenna realizes she’s pregnant, she starts to reevaluate her priorities, including, says Dobbs, “what she wants, how she can provide for another life … and how happy is enough? … Should you stick around for ‘happy enough’ or should you go out and find ‘really happy’?” Dobbs calls Waitress “a love story about platonic, female sisterhood” featuring diverse, three-dimensional characters.
“Everybody has their own journey,” says Thomas, “and I don’t think any of their journeys would happen without each other.” She describes Becky as someone who learns to take herself more seriously by identifying what she wants from her life. Meanwhile, Dawn finds love with quirky Ogie. “Their relationship blossoms, providing Dawn with a supportive and loving partner,” says Mara. “She starts to overcome her shyness and embrace her own individuality.”
Waitress features Bareilles’s folksy, pop-soul sound, with what Dobbs calls “intricate, beautiful, and specific” harmonies and structure. “[Bareilles] beautifully adds her own style into a classic musical theater score that makes it feel new and nostalgic all in one bite,” says Mara. “The songs are catchy, heartfelt, and honest.”
The show has a variety of characters to root for as they struggle to feel present and happy in their lives. “It’s something that everyone relates to,” says Dobbs. “It’s a story about everyone.”
See PCPA’s production of Waitress under the stars June 19-July 6 at Solvang Festival Theater (420 2nd St., Solvang). For tickets and information, see bit.ly/4jG9Zqb.
You must be logged in to post a comment.