--Songwriter Sara Bareilles and Tony winner Gavin Creel have been pals for a
while.
But now, they are co-starring in her show Waitress.
Broadway.com national editor Ryan Lee Gilbert recently caught up
with the duo.
[music]
--As Waitress approaches its third full year here on Broadway, the
show's creators are celebrating in a big way.
Sara Bareilles, the musical's beloved composer, is back at the diner,
and this time she's brought along a friend to join her, Tony Award winner
Gavin Creel.
--Going into this third year of Waitress, we wanted to do something
special to sort of commemorate the launch of this third year.
I really was itching to come back, at least for a brief
spell.
And so Gavin was the first call.
And he said yes!
--Yeah, I was, yeah I'll be honest.
I was scared first.
My first my first response was like, Are you sure?
I was.
I was like I said to her.
Are you sure?
Partially because my friendship is the most important thing.
Anything that could possibly jeopardize that, or make
it like ugh, made me nervous little.
--Working with friends is a risk.
You've great chemistry in your relationship and
it doesn't translate for whatever reason.
We both are first and foremost professionals, and we want to come to this
job, you know, doing it well.
And then we want to take care of each other as friends.
--Luckily, the pair's chemistry translates with ease to the Brooks Atkinson stage.
For Creel.
the chance to play the flirtatious OBGYN who woos Bareilles'
lovelorn waitress is, well, delicious.
--I'm not, you know, heterosexual.
--Interested.
--And that's the best thing about being an actor is you get to play, I,
in this moment, get to play out like a parallel life with this woman that
if I were, I would steal her from her boyfriend.
And I wouldn't.
I would I would wait for her to break up with him, and then I would
ask her out.
We would have a wonderful courtship and then we would get
engaged and then we would marry and then...
You know, because I love her.
I love her so much.
And it's kind of really fun to get to do all of the things that you don't,
the flirt, the courtship, the confusion, the intimacy, all of it is played
out nightly at the Brooks.
--Even though this is her third time starring in the show, Sara is still
discovering new subtleties to the role of Jenna Hunterson and the ways in which
she brings her to life on stage.
--It actually did feel very different this time.
And I am a different person than I was nine months
ago, the last time I did the show.
We had like five days of rehearsal, so there was a little bit of groundlessness
about the whole process that felt like a little scarier than the last time.
But at the same time, I really love that place on
earth.
Like, the Brooks, and those people, that company, that band, that crew,
these fans, like this is one of my favorite places in the entire world.
So, I love getting to go back.
I guess I'm just older and more tired.
--Which works for --Thank you..
--I mean, not for you, the character
--It does work for a pregnant, depressed woman.
--You are perfect for her, right now.
--I know, thank you.
Thank you!
--In 2018, Sara earned an Emmy nod for her turn as Mary Magdalene
in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, co-hosted the Tony Awards, earned
a Tony nomination for contributing to the score of Spongebob Squarepants
the Musical, and released the lead single offer for forthcoming fifth album.
It's simple to say that her career has shifted dramatically since composing the
score for Waitress.
I always describe it is that my life falls into two categories,
and that's before Waitress and after Waitress.
It has literally changed absolutely everything about my
life, including the people I know and hold nearest and dearest to me.
It felt completely impossible to begin this process.
And then over the course of the last you know five years of working on this
show, I completely fell in love with it.
I felt like a little kid, and I got reminded of the fact that work can feel
as inspired and can did an authentic and exciting you know
as anything you've ever done.
--And Gavin.
--Yes sir.
--You have had a pretty big couple of years too.
You won a Tony Award, Gavin Creel.
How has that changed your dynamic with what you do for a living,
and the projects that you want to be a part of?
--So, so saying yes to a project like Waitress is like when am I ever gonna
get the opportunity to work with a friend in something that is so dear to her,
and something that's so dear to me.
This show is very special to me for a million reasons.
I realize, because of my good fortune in the business and getting to
do different shows and, yes, winning that award, that I want to chase projects
that excite me and are exciting.
And if they're not fun, and they're not stimulating me creatively, I'm not gonna
go after them.
--The rare opportunity to see two stars who also happen to be
close friends perform together in a hit Broadway musical won't be lost on
any of the theater goers who are lucky enough to catch them in the show.
But it's Sara and Gavin's dedication to spreading
positive messages with their art that will continue to endear them to fans.
--In her letter to her baby, Jenna hopes that she becomes addicted to saying
things and that they matter to people.
What is a message that you say that you hope matters to people?
--I think it's right there.
It's that you matter.
You matter.
That's what I think.
Your perspective matters, your voice is important.
If it's not being heard, keep talking.
There are people who want to listen and to hear your story.
--Have fun.
Follow the things that give you bliss.
There's a lot of really magical stuff out there, and there are magical people
out there to meet.
And we both live by this, I think, be kind.
Like Ellen, what does she say?
--Be kind to each other --Be kind to each other.
And that's something we should all hear, like.
You know, if you do matter, and you want to have fun, be
kind.
--Yeah.
That's --Good night!
--[laughs] Put that on a bumper sticker.
--That would be a big, I mean, you would take up the entire back bumper.
--If you do matter, --It rolls off the tongue.
--Wrapped around the entire.
--And you wanna have fun...
--Yeah.
--Also be kind.
Whew.
Trademarked.