Based on the 2007 film of the same name, Diane Paulus, director of the original production on Broadway, said in the dramaturgy note “certain movies have that heartbeat.”

Paulus wanted voices in the room that were not known for their broadway background. She invited two-time Grammy winner Sara Bareilles to write the score, who helped bring the pop sound the show is known for. This collaboration made history as the first Broadway musical with an all-female creative team.

The pie lovin’ show has been across the country ever since.

These reviewers’ first impression of this production was the adorable, detail oriented set. With the makings of a perfect diner scene behind the characters throughout the performance, it seemed like a location that everybody has seen before. The aspects of a diner that we all know and love were displayed on the stage, including but not limited to booths with old leather seats, a bar with a large kitchen window just behind it, and antiques and knickknacks to line the walls.

The accuracy of the diner setting was no accident either, as the production received help from MacAlpine’s Diner & Soda, an iconic Phoenix location dating all the way back to 1929, and home to one of the few remaining original soda fountains in the United States.

When not at her shift in Joe’s Pie Diner, we see Jenna (Cassie Chilton) retreat to her humble abode, marked by an old Herculon couch and a hanging stained glass lamp overhead. Just these two set pieces were enough to convey the limited resources at home shared by her and her husband, Earl. (Caleb Reese)

The third set introduced onto the Phoenix Theatre Company stage in this production is the office of Dr. Pomatter, the new man who brings a sweet and much needed distraction to Jenna’s life, and lets her forget about her abusive husband Earl for a short while.

During Chilton’s performance in the role of Jenna, we noticed a few missed notes and under-supported vocals, but she showed up with a strong finish in the second act. Additionally, we see Jenna herself gain the confidence she needed to separate from her husband and build the future she wanted for herself and her daughter.

Once Dawn (Bonnie Beus Romney) begins using an online dating app to find love, she meets Ogie (Teddy Ladley), who instantly wins over the audience in “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me.” His heartfelt confession of love for Dawn was felt throughout the crowd.

Together with Chanel Edwards-Frederick as Becky, the trio of waitresses each explore their own love life and personal struggles. Dawn explores her anxieties about starting a relationship in “When He Sees Me,” Becky presents a powerful ode to those feeling trapped in their hometowns in “I Didn’t Plan It” and Jenna reflects on the person she thought she would become in the heartfelt ballad “She Used to Be Mine.” The three not only convey these messages, but do so with a wonderful chemistry together on stage.

You can be the cherry on top until Nov. 24 by purchasing tickets here.