Photo FeaturesPretty as Pie: Spotlighting the Props of WaitressPlaybill journeyed backstage at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre for a special look at how the production comes to life eight shows a week.
By
Marc J. Franklin
November 22, 2019
A Waitress baking cart
Marc J. Franklin
Sara Bareilles' hit musical Waitress continues its run on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Like most productions, a lot goes into putting on the show, from the performances and lighting/sound engineering to stage management, but Waitress poses a particular challenge: bringing the vibrancy (and food) of a diner to life onstage nightly.
“Waitress is a massive show from a props perspective. This means giant shopping and food orders, constantly fixing, painting, and refreshing (even dusting) everything from all those fake pies, to furniture and musical instruments,” stage manager Becky Fleming explains. “It takes a team of four union props crew who work tirelessly in concert with stage management to keep the show looking and running ‘as pretty as pie.’”
Playbill went backstage for a special behind-the-scenes look at how the production brings the musical to life eight shows a week.
plates, trays, and condiments decorate the diner kitchen unit
Inside the diner kitchen unit
Diner food preset in the kitchen unit: real bread, prop scrambled eggs, real cherry pie and a real tomato slice on the side
Departing cast members sign the inside of the kitchen unit
Stage right wing
Preset pies
"Mermaid marshmallow pie. The majority of this pie is fake, but the top is sugar-free cool whip. This allows Dr. Pomatter to 'eat' a portion of the pie during a comedic transition. It is sugar-free on the request of the actor, as the sugar-free version is easier on the throat / vocal chords."
Preset flour, used to help knead dough
Sugar, butter, and mixing bowl
Pie cart
Chart of the pie presets
"4 slices pecan pie on pie cart. Eaten by ensemble during "Opening Up." It was important to Diane Paulus (director) and Lorin Lotarro (choreographer) to see the cast eating real food onstage, but we needed to be selective about this, just to logistically manage all the perishables day-to-day. It was decided to prioritize real food to be delivered to the downstage diner tables in scenes, while the patrons in the upstage banquettes (that are much farther away from the audience) receive plated fake food."
"Since Broadway theaters are so small backstage, it is typical to fly set and props pieces in the air, and only bring them to the deck when they are needed. The hospital bed is only used near the end of act two, so it hangs in the air most of the show. And most of the time, there are cast/crew/other set pieces directly below it, as it hangs in the stage right wing, which is very busy the entire show.
"The tiered wedding pie, stored on it's own flying platform. It too, is only used once. Both items are flown in using a chain motor, which allows the crew to bring them to the deck, and fly them out, quickly and quietly."
The stage left wing
"Three slices of fake pie and one real slice that is covered in aluminum foil, to protect is from getting dusty before it goes onstage. Fun fact: the pie slice in the middle of the pic, with the chopped-up chocolate bits and caramel sauce drizzled on top, is a cast favorite. Whenever we talk about the fake food that looks the most delicious, this is the winner, hands-down."
Wedding spoons
Props are frequently stored in the diner busing bins for easy storage and mobility
Waitress features an original score by seven-time Grammy nominee Bareilles, a book by screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam), direction by Tony winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland), and choreography by Lorin Latarro. The Broadway run is scheduled to close January 5, 2020.
