In Waitress, life truly is better with pie. The Dallas Theater Center’s production of the musical with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles is now playing at the Wyly Theatre in the Dallas Arts District through April 20. Tiffany Solano plays Jenna, a waitress with a knack for making pies. As she bakes pies with names inspired by her life, she longs to open her own pie shop, but she is stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. An unexpected pregnancy makes her dreams seem impossible until she meets the town’s new doctor and learns about a baking contest with a generous cash prize. Waitress is based on a 2007 film of the same name. The musical is based on the 2007 film of the same name, written by Adrienne Shelley and starring Keri Russell. Shelley was murdered before the film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Jessie Nelson wrote the book for the musical. Solano talks about the film, how motherhood impacts her performance, and her favorite pie in the show. NBC DFW: This musical is based on a movie of the same name. What will fans of the movie enjoy about this adaptation? Tiffany Solano (TS): I grew up watching this film and loved it! I am the fans you’re referring to. The relationship between Jenna and Doctor Pomatter is really beautiful in the film. Tender and sweet.   The musical is deeply inspired by the source material and really honors the it. But the musical also has the luxury of time so you’re able to dig deeper into the characters you already know and love. The focus also shifts to the friendship between Jenna, Becky and Dawn and highlights that love doesn’t necessarily have to come in the form of romantic love. It empowers the women. The musical also has more levity than the film. So, you still have the deeply touching, tender moments but also laugh-out-loud, joyful moments.  It’s a beautiful love letter to Adrienne Shelly. The musical focuses as much on Jenna’s friendships as her romantic life. NBC DFW: What do you admire most about Jenna? TS: Jenna is this gorgeously messy, complex human. She starts the show resigned to the circumstances of her life: a thankless job, a loveless marriage. But an unexpected pregnancy changes the course of her life and sparks something inside of her. Instead of allowing herself to be defeated, she finds little ways to feel joy and happiness through friendship and her passion for pie baking. She uses her pies as her therapy. Ultimately, it’s her resilience, self-belief and fight that I am most inspired by. She bets on herself!  NBC DFW: You played Maria in The Sound of Music at the Dallas Theater Center. Both Maria and Jenna become mothers under unusual circumstances. What do their stories say about motherhood  TS: Well, I’d say that motherhood, even in its most traditional sense, is entirely unexpected. I have three incredible kiddos myself: Sofia, Nolan Penelope. They are the loves of my life. And it’s the most wildly challenging and rewarding role I’ve ever played. Motherhood has the ability to change the core of who you are. For me, playing roles like Maria and Jenna are a dream because I’m able to infuse my love for my own kids and the lessons they continue to teach me each day into the fabric of those characters.  NBC DFW: You have performed music from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved classic and Sara Bareilles’ modern favorite. Musically, how are these composers similar? How are they different? How have their different styles challenged you as a singer? TS: The differences in genre and tone are probably most notable. The Sound of Music is a classic soprano vocal, and Sara Bareilles’ singer-songwriter pop sensibility requires vocal agility flipping from a chesty belt to a pure tone depending on the song. The soprano voice in The Sound of Music requires a consistency of classic vocal techniques and the expected sound is more traditional, while Waitress allows more room for interpretation. The pop vocal sound allows for more vocal styling and gymnastics. I love the vocal dexterity required for Waitress and making Jenna my own stylistically. Plus, I’m a huge fan of Sara Bareilles, so singing her songs with our incredible band in unmatched. Yay Band!  Tiffany Solano picked up some pointers about baking pies at Humble Pies, where this photo was taken. NBC DFW: Which of the pies mentioned in the show is your favorite? And are you a good baker? TS: I wouldn’t call myself a baker. I do bake, but it’s definitely more basic like cookies and cakes. And mostly for special occasions like birthdays and holidays. In classic self-deprecating fashion Jenna says “I ain’t no Sara Lee.” Neither am I. Though for this role I did spend some time with Sean Jett, the owner of Humble Pies, to get some pointers and insight into pie baking. If you want to experience pies like Jenna makes try Humble! They’re incredible! As far as my favorite pie in the show, it shifts day to day. Today it’s “The Pursuit of Happiness Pie” because that’s sort of my own personal life goal: find joy and happiness in each day!  Learn more: Dallas Theater Center ...read more read less