This weekend, I went to see the musical
Waitress at the Saenger Theatre here in New Orleans. It's a delicious & funny, yet serious & thought provoking musical. Who would've thought that so many valuable life lessons could come from baking pies! I'd like to dedicate this blog post to local New Orleanian, Tee Eva (she made amazing pies.)
I featured her pie shop in 2012, here on A Very Sweet Blog. She recently passed. Her funeral was this weekend. She was a staple here in New Orleans. Very respected & loved. She will definitely be missed. Her daughter & family operates the shop now.
I first learned about the musical, when I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (2017) on Thanksgiving morning. I always watch that parade, because they give a great preview of musicals/plays that are about to come out of New York.
Broadway in New Orleans sent out a survey asking people what plays/musicals would they like to see in New Orleans. I remember voting for the musical Waitress. I'm a foodie & it looked so delicious. It also looked entertaining & cute.
Before going to see Waitress, I watched the movie (2007) that inspired the musical. It features Kerri Russell. She's a waitress married to a physically, mentally and verbally abusive husband. She has dreams & aspirations. She becomes pregnant and she & her waitress friends help each other through their life struggles (how she names all of her pies).
I was in the Club Section of The Saenger Theatre. There's actually a waiting list for Club & Grand Suites. The VIP Lounge is very nice and only for Club/Grand Suite Members. It's located on a side wing. You present your "special" ticket and you're allowed to enter. Oh, the wonderful surprises that await you! There's a small buffet. It featured fruit, cheeses, crackers, pasta, cocktail meatballs, artichoke & spinach dip and cookies. There's also a bar for beverages. It's a small, cozy room with sofas, tables & chairs. There's also a private bathroom. Everyone was so nice. I spoke to a lady, who use to live in Miami. We ended up talking about Gloria Estefan's Musical - On Your Feet! which will be coming to The Saenger Theatre next year (2019). We both mentioned how we love her music. Do I have membership to this exclusive club? No. I purchased them from a ticket resale website. It's surely a nice taste of the ritzy life :) Something to strive and aspire for. The amenities are great. My navy dress is from Garnet Hill.
Club and Grand Suite seats are located in the Balcony (upper) section of The Saenger Theatre. Both offer a great view of the stage and I love the plush seats. The Grand Suite seats are even better than the Club Seating (they are right before them). Seating is in two's and there's a waitress to take your order (you don't have to leave your seats to get concessions). Grand Suite Only! With Club seats, you do have to get your own concessions. There's also an amazing view of the sculptures on display at the Saenger. I only showed you the bottom floor, when I went to the
Chicago Concert last month. So I wanted to show you this view. I loved the cherry pie crust screen for Waitress.
I picked up a couple of souvenirs. One, was this cute Joe's Pie Diner T-shirt. The play takes place at Joe's Diner. It's where the waitresses discuss and hash out their problems. Where Jenna comes up with delicious pie recipes.
I do want to mention, that this musical is not for kids (no matter how cute the theme). There are many ADULT issues that are discussed, sexual references, displays, suggestions and genitalia mentioned. Leave the kids at home. They do pick 2 girls (Lulu) from every city they perform at, but they are at the very end of the show.
I always pick up an official program book, every time I see a play or musical. This one is really beautiful. What I loved about this musical was, that no matter how many problems these ladies had they were thoughtful & kind to one another. They helped each other. Not only with their actions, but also their words. They lifted each other up and helped anyway they could. It's a lesson we all should learn. I've had people in the past talk a good game, but weren't at all helpful. They couldn't even listen, if I just wanted to talk. Thank God I've cut those people out of my life. Inspiring words! Believing! Having Hope! That's what you'll find in this play! Also, your situation is subject to change.
I also picked up The Waitress Pie Book: Sugar, Butter, Flour. This is an early holiday gift to myself. It contains a number of delicious pie recipes (may I add, that are easy to understand and seem simple to prepare). I'd like to try my hand at and bake a few each year. Each page is so colorful and delicious looking >.< I love the names of the pies. A few were featured in the musical. They're so inspiring. Waitress had a local pie bake-off, where local bakeries (Louisiana) submitted a pie recipe. If they won they would be featured as an insert in this book. The recipe that won was 'Lazy Summer Strawberry and Cream Pie' (
Windowsill Pies). The recipe is in the picture below. I really enjoyed everything. Wanted to share my experience with you. If it comes to your area, definitely get tickets. There's so much to learn.
