Onstage now through October 11 at the Ordway in St. Paul, “Mystic Pizza: A New Musical” serves up a slice of late-eighties nostalgia. Adapted from the beloved 1988 indie film that famously catapulted Julia Roberts into the cultural stratosphere, the stage adaptation transports audiences back to the seaside Connecticut town anchored by sisterhood and longing. Following three young Portuguese-American women slinging slices at a local parlor, the narrative traces their turbulent navigation of class divides, romance, and uncertain futures. What arrives on the Ordway stage is an affectionate romantic comedy that celebrates the messy, exhilarating leap into adulthood.
Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, courtesy of Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.
The score is an unapologetic, high-octane barrage of chart-topping hits from the era, delivered with roof-raising power by onstage musicians. While certainly rooted in the screenplay’s plot beats, this is undeniably a classic jukebox confection where book scenes are reverse-engineered to cue up radio staples; the dialogue gamely bends over backward to justify the next power ballad blast.
Spreading its romantic weight across three distinct couples, the production operates without a singular leading lady. While a handful of secondary beats and side characters veer dangerously close to cartoonish caricature, the performances anchored in Mystic’s authentic blue-collar grit ring truest. As the studious, vulnerable Kat, Kendall Becerra leads with heart and earnest optimism, even when steering directly into a doomed May-December romance. Becerra’s rendition of Debbie Gibson’s “Lost in Your Eyes” strikes an irresistible sweet spot between genuine teenage yearning and delightful camp. Alongside her, Matt Woodward as the lovelorn fisherman Bill deftly balances raw blue-collar frustration with boyish devotion as he begs Lexi Frilles’ fiery, commitment-phobic Jojo to finally meet him at the altar.
Anchoring the shop and the entire ensemble with maternal gravity is Tieisha Thomas as proprietor Leona Silvia. Thomas radiates generous spirit and warm determination, stopping the show cold with her powerhouse mashup of “All I Need Is a Miracle” and “You Keep Me Hanging On,” a tour-de-force vocal explosion thoroughly worthy of the thunderous applause it earned on opening night.
Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, courtesy of Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.
Handling dual duties as director and choreographer, Jennifer Werner ensures every company member gets a spotlight, whether they are shucking oysters at the docks or in the background at a pool hall. Her staging channels athletic Rockette precision into exuberant period footwork, coaxing the high-energy ensemble through every step, hop, and shoulder shimmy we remember from eighties music videos. That sensory time capsule extends seamlessly into Jen Caprio’s costume design, a pitch-perfect parade of color-blocked oversized sweaters, popped polo collars, acid-washed denim, and Lands’ End plaids that peek right into the wardrobes of small-town New England.
Ahead of the curtain, I rewatched the original 1988 film and found myself turning to my husband to ask the obvious question: who exactly decided this coming-of-age movie needed to become a pop musical? Yet in the capable hands of book writer Sandy Rustin, it works. The heart of the original remains intact, and the sisterhood between these three waitresses continues to resonate with warmth and emotion.
For an undeniably joyful evening packed with anthems you already know by heart, get to the Ordway before the weekend wraps. Just do yourself a favor and order a pizza for when you get home, as we did.
