Growing up just outside of New York City, I frequently made trips to see Broadway shows. I was fortunate enough to have family that brought me often, starting a love for something at a very young age that would continue to follow me into adulthood. Many of the shows I’ve seen have made an impact on me, so many incredible stories told from the view of talented creators and performers.
Back when I was a freshman in college, my mom and I visited the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, which at the time was the home of the Waitress musical. This show would became so special to me, but little did I know I’d see it again a few years later after so much in my life had changed.
The first time I saw the show, I was just 18 and very unsure of what I wanted. I had started my college career in a different major and like a lot of students, would eventually end up changing my mind. I was overwhelmed and felt stuck in the choices that I had made and hoped for a change, going through the motions expecting that eventually, it would all come together.
In many ways, I identified with the lead character, Jenna. While our stories were vastly different, I understood the thoughts full of dreams, the longing to go after the things I didn’t even know I wanted. I felt hesitation on taking the next step that would give me a great life, I just needed the courage to do it.
Sara Barelles composed an incredible score for this show, and I haven’t stopped listening since it came out in 2016! From the light hearted numbers to those with a more serious and emotional tone, these songs tugged at the heartstrings for me and so many others, conveying beautiful messages of love, hope, friendship and dreams. They are songs that I listened to many times over the past few years, throughout every event that has altered my life since I was first in that theatre.
As I sat in the State Theatre New Jersey last Thursday to see the show, just over a month before I am set to graduate from college, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much I had grown in the time that passed. It went by in the blink of an eye, and I am so proud of who I have become. Since then, the most incredible friends have come into my life, providing me with the unwavering support much like Becky and Dawn do for Jenna in the show. While it took some time, my path went in a different direction that has pushed me to work towards my dreams to what is truly meant for me and like Jenna, I am fighting for the little believer inside ;)
Waitress has and always will hold a place in my heart. I resonate with parts of the story, with elements of the characters journeys, and what they were able to do despite where they began! May we all be so lucky as to find what is right for us, and see inspiration and joy in the stories we come across along the way.