The first show I saw on Broadway was Waitress on June 30th, 2017. Since then, I have fallen in love with seeing shows on and off-broadway, some of my favorites being Kinky Boots, Newsies, Hamilton, and, of course, Waitress.
When my mom and I first found out Broadway was opening back up, we knew we had to be at a show. Originally, the show that was at the top of our list was Aladdin since we had tickets for April 2020 that were refunded once the lockdown happened. We were all set to get tickets again for Aladdin when I saw a rumor on Instagram saying that Waitress was coming back to Broadway with Sara Bareilles for a limited time. We immediately decided we were going to wait to buy tickets for anything else until we knew more about Waitress coming back.
On July 7th, the official announcement was made and we sat down and bought our tickets. We found out that not only were we seeing Waitress with Barielles, but that we would also be seeing Drew Gehling, Charity Angél Dawson, and Caitlin Houlahan.
On the day of the show, we arrived a few minutes before doors opened and were one of the first groups in line. They checked everyone’s vaccination cards and IDs before letting us in. Once inside and at our seats, we, of course, took the typical Playbill photo. Before the show started we also had to find out about getting Waitress’s famous pie jars. Because of COVID-19, the theatre isn’t allowed to serve food, so, instead, you have to place an order online and pick it up after the show. Once we placed our order and got our drinks, we sat down and got ready for the show.
Everyone was so excited to be back at the theater. The audience’s energy was unmatched, and I think anyone that has seen a show since the reopening of Broadway would agree with me. We talked with a mom and daughter in front of us who traveled from North Carolina to see the show – they had a full weekend planned dedicated to seeing shows and had seen Hadestown that same morning.
Once the lights and the noise went down, the amazing Sara Bareilles opened the show with “What’s Inside.” It had been so long since I’d last seen the show that I couldn’t remember all the dialogue and jokes in between the songs – it was almost like seeing the show for the first time all over again. One of the best moments of the show was the American flag that was originally used being replaced with a pride flag.
Waitress is guaranteed to make you laugh and cry. I could sit here and list all my favorite parts of the show, but truthfully I’d just be listing every part of it. Sara Bareilles and the whole cast were breathtaking, and I’d see this show every single night if I could.
I can easily say that this was one of the best shows I have ever seen on Broadway. The energy in the room made the experience incredible. Everyone was so excited to be back and be in the same room together. After the show, we stopped by concessions to pick up our pie jars (which were amazing, by the way). If you haven’t been able to see Waitress yet, you still have time. The diner is open till January 9th, with Sara Bareilles through October 17th.