Set in 1950's Baltimore, Cry-Baby features a rockabilly score by David Javerbaum ("The Daily Show") and Adam Schlesinger ("That Thing You Do") and a book by the Tony-Award winning Hairspray team of Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell.
Following an acclaimed out-of-town engagement at the La Jolla Playhouse this past fall, Cry-Baby will officially open on Broadway April 24.
In Cry-Baby, press notes state, "Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism, and Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker is the coolest boy in town. He's a bad boy with a good cause—truth, justice, and the pursuit of rock 'n roll—and when he falls for a good girl who wants to be bad, her charm school world of bobby sox and barbershop quartets will never be the same. Wayward youth, juvenile delinquents, sexual repression, cool music, dirty lyrics, bizarre rejects...Finally, the 50's come to life! For real this time!"
Mark Brokaw directs the musical adaptation of the 1990 Waters film. James Snyder stars in the title role with Tony Award winner Harriet Harris as Mrs. Vernon-Williams. Also featured are Elizabeth Stanley (Company) as Allison, Carly Jibson (Hairspray) as Pepper, Chester Gregory II (Tarzan) as Dupree, Christopher J. Hanke (In My Life) as Baldwin, Lacey Kohl as Wanda, Alli Mauzey (Wicked) as Lenora, Courtney Balan as Mona, and Richard Poe (Journey's End) as Judge Stone.
Rounding out the Cry-Baby cast are Cameron Adams, Ashley Amber, Nick Blaemire, Michael Buchanan, Andrew C. Call, Eric Christian, Colin Cunliffe, Lisa Gajda, Michael D. Jablonski, Laura Jordan, Brendan King, Marty Lawson, Courtney Laine Mazza, Spencer Liff, Mayumi Miguel, Tory Ross, Eric Sciotto, Peter Matthew Smith, Allison Spratt, Charlie Sutton and Stacey Todd Holt. Waters discussed following his 2003 smash-hit Hairspray with another musical adaptation of his films at a recent press event, commenting: "I think the one thing that we were a little worried about when we were in La Jolla, I guess, was [that] everybody was going to compare it to Hairspray — no one did. It is different, it's sexy. I don't think that was the first word anybody ever called Hairspray. But it's sexy, it's irreverent, and it's ruder in a way. And I think that works for it. I think that's what it should be. And the movie was ruder than 'Hairspray.'"
The creative team features Rob Ashford (choreography), Lynne Shankel (music direction, incidental music and additional arrangements), Christopher Jahnke (orchestrations) and David Chase (dance arranger). The design team includes Scott Pask (scenic), Catherine Zuber (costume), Howell Binkley (lighting), Peter Hylenski (sound), Tom Watson (hair and wig) and Randy Houston Mercer (makeup). Rick Sordelet serves as fight director. Rolt Smith is stage manager.
All preview performances are priced at $54 to coincide with the year in which the musical is set (rear mezzanine seats will be $35). Tickets ($35-$120) for Cry Baby at Broadway's Marquis Theatre, 1535 Broadway, are available by visiting CryBabyOnBroadway.com.
