Waitress is a Story of Love, Relationships & Pie
photo credit Jeremy Daniel
It is a story of love, relationships, and pie. Waitress the musical is stopping at Midland Center for the Arts this week and brings with it the sweet aroma of a poignant and touching story of Jenna, a waitress and creator of extraordinary pies. She tries to find herself and purpose despite a tumultuous marriage and small-town dynamics. She begins to realize her full worth when a relationship with the local physician begins to bloom.
David Socolar plays the doctor and was drawn to the character after experiencing the show a few years ago. He found a bit of himself in the endearing, socially awkward doctor.
“He really means so well,” explains Socolar. “He uses humor to get through tragedy and is just incredibly well-meaning.”
Acting is a profession that gives as much as it takes and this role has given Socolar a few lessons along the road. The doctor follows his passion, sometimes with little forethought, a trait Socolar admires. That path, however, leads him into a tough situation. How he navigates that situation provides an opportunity for Socolar to look internally at his own decision-making process.
“I definitely picked up some things from the character,” said Socolar. “I’ve learned to sort of explore things a little bit further before completely diving into them. He finds himself trapped in a situation, in the expectations that life in America can give us sometimes. A marriage, a stable job, those expectations that he wasn’t fully prepared for. It has caused me to listen a little bit more to my heart in my life.”
With music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winner Sara Bareilles, the show was adapted from a 2007 movie featuring Keri Russel and Nathan Fillion. Those works by Bareilles are what drew Socolar to the role.
photo credit Jeremy Daniel
“The music of this show is very singable. Sara Bareilles is brilliant. She writes fun words to play with and melodies that are accessible but also challenging,” he explained.
Life on the road can be arduous and taxing but David Socolar views his time on the second national tour of Waitress as an adventure.
“It’s quite an adventure,” laughs Socolar. “We’re traveling all over the country, seeing the country and bringing such an important show to smaller areas of the country.”
Those fresh faces in the audience each night help motivate Socolar to give his all on stage each performance and are one of most important aspects of every show.
“We’re bringing such an important show to smaller areas of the country, to smaller towns which is kind of what this show is about,” said Socolar. “It’s a special thing to see new, fresh audiences every night. It is so gratifying to be able to bring this story to new audiences each night.”
The show runs February 15 and 16 at Midland Center for the Arts before heading south to Ohio for the next stop on the tour. Ticket information and details can be found at midlandcenter.org
This article was written by Amy Jo Brown
