Shed No Tears for this Cry Baby
With an energetic cast led by James Snyder, Elizabeth Stanley and Harriet Harris, Cry Baby is indeed a crowd pleaser. As seen at Monday night’s preview it may not be the greatest show out there, but it surely provides a fun theatrical experience. With an off-beat sense of humor with lyrics to match it’s in keeping with John Waters’ material.
Mark Brokaw, the show’s director, was busy taking notes to make the necessary changes to improve the overall production. BU learned from one of our spies that one number in Act I was already being cut in an attempt to tighten up the show. As an ensemble cast member put it, “It’s a new show every day as they continue to make changes.”
James Snyder, a Sacramento, California native, makes a terrific Broadway debut in the title role of the misunderstood Cry Baby from the wrong side of the tracks who can’t shed a tear. As he said, “It’s not too bad.” in response to BU’s praise. It’s his first time in New York and he’s loving it.
The show boasts a lot of choreography and Harriet Harris (Mrs. Vernon-Williams) said, “The dancers are working so hard…Rob Ashford (choreographer) is a genius. ”
Elizabeth Stanley (Allison) agreed it was quite a difference from her role as April in Company. Unfortunately, BU thinks she is miscast appearing older than Snyder. She wondered whether we thought Cry Baby gets a PG rating. We would add a “13″ to that. Check it out at the Marquis Theatre and judge for yourself.