Review: The 10th Anniversary Tour of Waitress Serves Up a Masterpiece at Bass Concert Hall

A scene from a theater production featuring three characters: a nurse in scrubs, a patient in a light blue dress holding a pie, and a doctor in a white coat with a clipboard. They are positioned in a medical office setting.

A lively scene from a theatrical performance featuring several actors celebrating in a diner setting, with a backdrop displaying a menu for home baked pies. The characters are smiling, raising kitchen utensils, and dressed in colorful costumes.

A slice of pure musical heaven has landed in the Live Music Capital of the World. The Broadway Across America presentation of Waitress at Bass Concert Hall delivers a masterful blend of pop-rock hooks, soaring vocals, and localized charm. For an audience of music purists, this 10th Anniversary Tour production proves that Sara Bareilles’ Grammy-nominated score remains the undisputed heart and soul of the show.

The Nostalgic 50s Diner Staging

The scenic design is a visual treat, anchored by an iconic 50s-style diner aesthetic complete with neon signs, retro counters, and warm, sun-drenched Southern textures. Flanking the stage, the fun, spinning pie cases on either side instantly capture the eye, adding a whimsical energy to the theater before the music even begins. What makes the staging so great is how seamlessly it transitions; the set easily switches between the bustling diner and the cramped, oppressive living room of Jenna’s home.

Three waitresses in blue uniforms stand in front of a diner stage set, each holding an order ticket. A male cook is visible in the background, and diners are seated at tables.

Sara Bareilles weaves a beautiful sense of theatrical nostalgia into the production, using upbeat, mid-century-inspired girl-group rhythms in songs like “Opening Up” and “The Negative.” This retro musical styling strikes a deeply nostalgic chord for theatergoers, perfectly bridging vintage Americana with contemporary pop.

A scene from a musical featuring a man in a plaid shirt and a baseball cap playing guitar while sitting on a couch next to a woman in a blue waitress uniform, both smiling at each other.

The live music implementation is incredibly creative, placing the six-piece band right on stage. While there were a couple of places where the instrumentals unfortunately drowned out the performers’ vocals, the overall staging of the musicians was perfect. The production shifts them, sometimes positioning the band behind a sheer curtain to soften the mood, while the wedding scene at the end perfectly showcases them as the live wedding band, pulling them fully into the story’s celebratory world.

The Power of the Diner Trio

While the romantic subplots offer plenty of charm, the true emotional anchor of the show is the fierce, unbreakable bond between the three main waitresses. Waitress shines a beautiful light on the importance of female friendship and mutual support. Jenna, Becky, and Dawn navigate their personal messy realities by fiercely protecting, helping, and uplifting one another. Whether they are celebrating Dawn finding love or stepping up to buffer Jenna from her toxic home life, their sisterhood demonstrates that romantic love is only part of the equation—unconditional friendship is what actually saves them. And showing how being a single mother, with the help of friends, is manageable and beautiful.

Their shared musical numbers are absolute highlights for any music lover:

“The Negative”: This playful, anxious trio showcases their flawless comedic timing and rapid-fire vocal interplay as they wait for a pregnancy test result.
“A Soft Place to Land”: The absolute vocal peak for the trio. Their intricate, crystalline three-part harmonies blend perfectly, turning a quiet song of shared dreams into a hauntingly beautiful prayer of survival and hope.

A scene from a diner-themed musical featuring a waitress in a blue and white uniform and a male customer at a table, with the diner sign 'Joe's Pie Diner' visibly displayed in the background.

Resilience and Reclamation

Behind its bright, sugary exterior, the musical tackles profound, hard-hitting emotional themes. At its core, Waitress is a powerful narrative about reclaiming agency and standing up against domestic abuse. The show handles the stifling reality of Jenna’s toxic relationship with immense care, showing how she channels her anxiety into baking metaphorically named treats like the “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.” Her eventual breakthrough is a triumphant victory for self-worth. It serves as a moving reminder that finding your voice often requires reclaiming your independent rhythm, a theme that grounds the production’s humor with real-world gravity and heart.

The affair between Jenna and her gynecologist, Dr. Pomatter, grounds the whimsical story in a messy, deeply human reality where two lonely people in unhappy marriages make the flawed moral choice to find comfort in one another. Sara Bareilles intentionally wrote their sweeping duet, “It Only Takes a Taste,” to humanize this taboo relationship, focusing on the universal need to feel seen rather than passing judgment on their infidelity. Ultimately, the affair ends cleanly in the delivery room; upon holding her newborn daughter, Lulu, Jenna experiences a wave of clarity and self-worth, firmly ending the relationship with a bittersweet parting pie to embrace a fresh start as an independent mother.

Standout Performers and Audience Favorites

The production hinges on the casting of Jenna, and Samantha Lane Scruggs delivers to the rafters. Belting out the complex vocal arrangements of “What Baking Can Do,” Scruggs finds her true emotional peak during the stunning 11 o’clock ballad, “She Used to Be Mine”. The crowd sat in dead silence before erupting into a roaring ovation that nearly stopped the show.

The supporting cast brings incredible comic timing and vocal versatility:

The Diner Trio: The chemistry between the three waitresses forms the true heart and powerhouse focal point of the show:
Jenna Hunterson – Played by Samantha Lane Scruggs. She is the gifted, soft-spoken pie baker at the center of the story.
Becky – Played by Hannah-Kathryn Wall. She is the sharp-tongued, fiercely independent, and no-nonsense anchor of the diner.
Dawn Pinkett – Played by Becky Alex. She is the anxious, quirky, and lovable eccentric who eventually finds her perfect match in Ogie. Together, their tight vocal harmonies on songs like “A Soft Place to Land” and their fierce, protective friendship provide the emotional grounding for the entire production.
Dr. Pomatter: Played by Texas State University graduate Connor Lewis, this run serves as a triumphant local homecoming. Bringing a lovable, bumbling “golden retriever” energy to the stage, Lewis completely wins over the audience with his intricate, rapid-fire vocals on “Bad Idea”. The humor and physical comedy (sometimes sexual) elevates the scenes with Jenna and had us in stitches.
Ogie: As the persistent suitor, Davey Fried provides a masterclass in his physical comedy during the audience-favorite number, “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me,” stealing his scenes with sheer charisma.The “Poetry” Scene: His courtship of Dawn is a masterclass in comedic timing. He woos her with his hyper-specific passions—like competitive Paul Revere historical reenactments and spontaneous, deeply earnest poetry—turning what could be awkward into something lovable.
Joe, the cantankerous owner of the diner, is a bold character whose curmudgeonly exterior hides a deeply perceptive and generous heart. Though he spends his days barking strict orders, he quietly recognizes Jenna’s immense talent and her desperate need to escape her abusive marriage. In a beautiful twist, Joe passes away and leaves the entire diner to Jenna in his will—along with a massive cash inheritance and a note telling her to “start fresh”—providing her the ultimate gift of true financial and personal independence.

A fun standout moment that had the crowd cheering was during a lively ensemble sequence, a massive rainbow flag was proudly unfurled and driven across the stage. It was a beautiful, spontaneous moment that felt perfectly attuned to Austin’s welcoming culture. It was a fun and lively crowd for a Wednesday night.

For music lovers who appreciate pristine vocal execution, exceptional live instrumentation, and a story full of resilience, Waitress is a beautifully baked masterpiece you cannot afford to miss.

Because this 10th Anniversary national tour has an incredibly short run of only 3 nights in Austin, you should absolutely get tickets if you can before the diner packs up and leaves town after Friday night’s performance! Standard ticket prices generally start between $58 and $84 and scale higher for prime orchestra seating. Remaining seats can be purchased directly through the official Texas Performing Arts or at Bass Concert Hall.

More about Waitress:

Based on the 2007 indie film by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress made Broadway history as the first-ever musical to feature women in the top four creative roles: book by Jessie Nelson, choreography by Lorin Latarro, direction by Diane Paulus, and music and lyrics by pop singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles.

Bareilles brought her signature raw, introspective pop-soul sensibility to the theater world. Songs like the heartbreaking ballad “She Used to Be Mine” became immediate crossover radio and streaming hits, solidifying the musical’s place in modern pop-culture history. Since its 2016 Broadway debut, Waitress has earned immense critical praise and numerous prestigious nominations:

Tony Awards: Nominated for 4 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Sara Bareilles.
Grammy Awards: Nominated for Best Musical Theater Album.
Olivier Awards: Received multiple nominations for its London West End transfer.

Song list

Act I

“What’s Inside” – Jenna and Ensemble
“Opening Up” – Jenna, Becky, Dawn, and Ensemble
“The Negative” – Jenna, Becky, and Dawn
“What Baking Can Do” – Jenna
“Club Knocked Up” – Pregnant Women
“Pomatter Pie” – Instrumental
“When He Sees Me” – Dawn
“It Only Takes a Taste” – Dr. Pomatter and Jenna
“You Will Still Be Mine” – Earl and Jenna
“A Soft Place to Land” – Jenna, Becky, and Dawn
“Never Ever Getting Rid of Me” – Ogie, Dawn, and Ensemble (Ogie’s hilarious bar-jumping number)
“Bad Idea” – Jenna, Dr. Pomatter, and Ensemble