If you’ve spent any time on Broadway YouTube or just deep-dived into the world of musical theater, you’ve hit that one video. You know the one. It’s 2016, the stage is dimly lit, and Jessie Mueller is standing there in a blue waitress uniform, looking like she’s about to break into a thousand pieces.
She starts singing "She Used to Be Mine."
It isn't just a song. It’s like watching someone perform surgery on their own soul in front of a live audience. Honestly, even years later, that specific performance from Waitress remains the gold standard for what an "eleven o'clock number" should actually do to a human being.
The Defining Moment of Jessie Mueller: She Used to Be Mine
So, what’s the big deal? Lots of people have sung this song. Sara Bareilles, who wrote the thing, has a version that is objectively gorgeous. Shoshana Bean, Katharine McPhee, and even Jennifer Nettles have all taken a crack at Jenna Hunterson. They’re all great. But there is something about the way Jessie Mueller handles "She Used to Be Mine" that feels like the "definitive" take.
Basically, Jessie doesn't just sing the notes. She lives in the cracks between them.
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When the show opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in April 2016, critics were basically tripping over themselves to describe her performance. The New York Times called it "wrenching." Deadline talked about the "velvet, heartfelt beauty" she brought to the role.
The song comes at a brutal point in the show. Jenna is pregnant, stuck in an abusive marriage with a guy named Earl, and she has basically realized that the girl she used to be—the firecracker, the dreamer—is gone. She’s looking in the mirror and seeing a stranger.
Why the 2016 Tony Awards Performance Changed Everything
Most people found the song through the 70th Tony Awards. It was a weird, heavy night for the theater community, happening just hours after the Pulse nightclub shooting. There was this collective need for something raw and real.
Jessie started the medley with "Opening Up," all smiles and "sugar, butter, flour." Then the lights shifted. Sara Bareilles sat down at the piano. The transition into "She Used to Be Mine" felt like the air leaving the room.
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When Jessie hits that line, "To mess up and lift up and mess up again," her voice does this tiny, jagged break. It’s not a mistake. It’s a choice. It’s the sound of a woman who is tired of trying to be perfect for everyone else.
Breaking Down the "Messy" Magic
There is a technical reason why this works so well. Jessie Mueller has this specific vocal quality—it's soulful, a bit breathy, and has a folk-pop edge that perfectly matches Sara Bareilles’ writing style. Most musical theater singers are trained to be "clean." Jessie is okay with being messy.
Lyrically, the song is a list of contradictions:
- "She is messy, but she's kind."
- "She is lonely most of the time."
- "She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie."
By the time she reaches the climax, she isn't just belting; she's crying out. It’s a F3 to D5 range, which is plenty of room for drama. But it’s the way she pulls back on the final "She used to be mine" that kills you. It’s a whisper of a realization.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Song
A lot of folks think this is a breakup song about a guy. It’s really not. It’s a breakup song about yourself.
Jenna is mourning the version of herself that didn't have to hide her money in pie tins or flinch when a door slammed. That’s why it resonates so hard. Whether you're 20 or 60, there’s always a version of you that you feel you’ve lost along the way.
Interestingly, Sara Bareilles and Jessie Mueller actually have a cool history. Sara auditioned for Cinderella in Into the Woods back in 2012 and didn't get it—the role went to Jessie. Sara later said it felt like a "cosmic hug" when Jessie was cast as Jenna because she knew the music was in the right hands.
How to Appreciate the Performance Today
If you’re looking to really "get" why this performance matters, don't just listen to the cast recording. The recording is great, but you need to see the eyes.
- Watch the Rehearsal Footage: There’s an old video from the New 42nd Street Studios where Jessie is just in a t-shirt and jeans singing the song. No makeup, no lights. It’s arguably more powerful than the Broadway stage version because there’s zero artifice.
- Compare the Phrasing: Listen to how Jessie handles the word "mine" compared to other performers. She holds it like it’s something fragile that’s already broken.
- Check the 2024 Duet: Sara and Jessie performed this again recently for a PBS New Year’s Eve special. Seeing them sing it together as a duet changes the meaning—it becomes about sisterhood and shared experience rather than just one woman's isolation.
It's rare for a single song to define a Broadway era, but for the mid-2010s, this was it. It’s a masterclass in acting through song. You don't need to be a "theater person" to feel the weight of it. You just need to have ever felt a little bit lost.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're feeling inspired by the depth of Jessie's performance, start by watching the 2016 Tony Awards medley on YouTube to see the live transition from joy to heartbreak. After that, listen to the original Broadway cast recording of Waitress back-to-back with Sara Bareilles' What's Inside: Songs from Waitress album. It’s a fascinating look at how a songwriter’s intent (Sara) is transformed into a character’s reality (Jessie).