Waitress the Musical, national tour presented by Broadway in Boston, Opera House, through March 4. BroadwayinBoston.com or 800-982-2787
Carl Sagan once observed, ''If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." By the great astronomer's standards, Jenna is a baking creator extraordinaire. In fact, the fictional restaurant sensation proved a kind of pie guru in the very flavorful American Repertory Theatre 2015 world premiere ''Waitress the Musical,'' based on the satisfying 2007 film of the same name.
The ingredient-rich national tour at the Opera House (a Broadway in Boston presentation) offers musical-hungry patrons the same warm and winning recipe of hope and empowerment as the original effort that remains a Broadway hit.
Fans of the movie, scripted by the late talent Adrienne Shelly, know all too well that Jenna's empowerment is achieved only through dealing with personal and professional challenges. She finds her loveless marriage to abusive Earl as much of a trap as her mother's-particular after discovering that she is pregnant and soon learning that Earl has lost his job.
Waiting tables in the American South at the off-highway Joe's Pie Diner provides no real satisfaction. Fondly recalling helping her mother bake pies when she was nine years old, she finds a kind of imaginary haven in her own creations. Eventually her vaunted repertoire reaches 27 varieties, and a looming pie-baking competition with a sizeable cash prize holds open the possibility of escape from Earl.
Musical book author Jessie Nelson and composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles have adapted Jenna's story well. Here too the vulnerable heroine finds encouragement and warm friendship in a kind of professional three-woman sisterhood with savvy Becky and somewhat ditzy Dawn.
Here too an affair with equally married, tall and handsome OB/GYN Dr. Jim Pomatter (who has replaced the retiring physician Lily Perkins she cherished) accelerates her arrival at a moment of truth. She has averted that necessary moment through waiting tables and even tailoring pies and their names to the respective situations and evolving fortunes of her customers-for instance, a "Betrayed by My Eggs Pie."
If her distinctive pies can reflect her own discontent-initially an "I Don't Want Earl's Baby Pie,'' they ultimately also indicate her transcendence. For fans of the film, Jenna's final personal and professional choices will ring true once again. For all audience members, the different closing fortunes of all three waitresses should prove as filling and satisfying as a prize-winning pie.
A.R.T. artistic director Diane Paulus continues to sharply supervise the vivid Nelson-Bareilles two-act entrée. Scott Pask keeps the diner well-detailed with prop-rich set pieces that wheel on and off and side cases with revolving pies.
While Desi Oakley may not be quite as dynamic as the amazing Jesse Mueller was in the Cambridge premiere, she has all of Jenna's heart and resourcefulness. Oakley also sings well--in harmony with Charity Angel Dawson as Becky and Lenne Klingaman as Dawn in an appealing trio that recalls the waitress threesome in the sitcom ''Alice'' and in duet with Bryan Fenkart as Pomatter-notably on the affecting number ''You Matter to Me.'' Her best rendition comes on the haunting standout solo lament "She Used to Be Mine.''
Dawson captures Becky's attitude and turns in a belting showstopper on the acerbic waitress' signature number "I Didn't Plan It.'' Klingaman is properly flaky as Dawn, but Jeremy Morse is scene-stealing good as her idiosyncratic new boyfriend Ogie-particularly kicking high on the amusing number ''I Love You Like a Table.'' Fenkart has the right funky nonchalance as Pomatter. The only weak area, despite Morse's singular moves, is Lorin Lattaro's generally uninspired choreography.
Vendors are circulating through the Opera House aisles selling fitting yet fairly pricey individual pies. Ambitious audience members are likely to try their own hand at larger creations after enjoying the homespun pleasures of "Waitress.''