I am a huge fan of Sara Bareilles. I have every single one of her albums and the accompanying books of sheet music that I have tried and, rather unsuccessfully, learned to play on the piano. She is my musical inspiration.
I also love Waitress: The Musical, a contemporary Broadway hit currently starring Tony Award winner, Jessie Mueller, with music and lyrics written by the one and only Sara Bareilles.
When I found out that not only was Sara Bareilles composing new music for a Broadway show but also that it would be based on one of my favorite movies, the original Waitress, a 2007 film starring Keri Russell, I literally jumped up and down. This excitement was further intensified when Bareilles released a preview album featuring herself performing the songs that were to be in the show, even though many ended up being cut or altered.
That being said, last April, when I was finally able (and ecstatic) to see Waitress when it was still in previews on Broadway, I was blown away not only by the beautifully written songs but also, and even more so, by Jessie Mueller and the rest of the cast’s phenomenal performance. When the official Original Broadway Cast Album came out, I listened to it on repeat for weeks.
It was recently announced that when Jessie Mueller steps off the stage in a few weeks—a well-deserved break, but still a sad goodbye—Sara Bareilles herself will be taking over as Jenna, the main character. As someone who loves both Mueller and Bareilles, I feel conflicted.
My first thought when listening to Jessie Mueller’s rendition of “She Used to Be Mine,” arguably the most heart-wrenching song in the show, after hearing Sara Bareilles sing it an uncountable number of times before, was “Jessie’s is better.”
I was not focused on the quality of either women’s vocals because they are both outstanding, but there was such raw, beautiful emotion behind Mueller’s performance that was just not present in Bareilles’. And there is a clear explanation for this: Sara Bareilles is not a musical theatre actress.
This may seem like a petty and unsubstantiated argument, but when it comes to a character as complex and dynamic as Jenna, it worries me that Bareilles does not have much of an acting background besides a few musicals when she was in school.
I know starring in a Broadway show has always been one of Bareilles’ dreams and because of this, I really want to be supportive of this transition in the casting. Yet, with such a stark contrast in acting experience between Mueller and Bareilles, I am a bit nervous.
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