My Cry-Baby review

[BrianS]

Posted: 11/14/07 at 2:00am

Saw Cry-Baby tonight, and here's my two cents:

I really liked the show. It's fun and in really good shape this early in the development process. I laughed a lot and there are some really cool dance moments. The score is a solid pastiche score based on music of the time and it's actually pretty good. The pleasant surprise for me was the breadth of talent in the cast. Multiple people get chances to sing their faces off and the singing makes the score seem even better than it is. The tone of the show really works. If it keeps getting better and survives the transfer, I think it could sneak in under Mermaid and Frankenstein as the underdog that both sells tickets and gets critical raves.

The good...

The cast really is talented and this is truly an ensemble show. Everyone has a lot to do and for the most part, they do it very well. James Snyder has a great voice and looks perfect. He isn't hitting it out of the park with the characterization, but he's solid and maybe he's still finding it. Someone in the cast told me they are getting a ton of changes still thrown at them. I didn't think I was going to like Elizabeth Stanley as Allison because her first song seemed to sit in her mix. Then she started belting and everything was fine. For me, the two standouts were Alli Mauzy as Lenore and Chestor Gregory as Dupree. She is insanely (literally) funny and has a song that immediately became one of my favorites. Chestor Gregory sang riffs that I couldn't believe. He is, by far, the standout among a great cast.

The dancing... I can't remember the last time I was in awe of a dance number of just men. There is a section of dacning that actually happens after the much talked about prison dance where the guys absolutely tore it up. It was that good. Overall, there is a lot of very sexy and inventive dancing in the show and Rob Ashford definitely earned his money.

The sets are cool without being overdone. There is one mini-prison set that reminded me of "Spinal Tap," but other than that, everything looks top notch.

The book/lyrics: The show is funny. That John Waters subversiveness is all over this show and the audience laughed a lot.

The so-so...

The book: Yes the show is funny, but Act 1 only runs about 1:10 and there were a couple of sections that dragged. It's tough because the plotline doesn't have very far to go so it just seems a little stretched out at times. Sometimes you dont care like when they are all singing their solos at the "shack" (can't remember the name) because the songs are funny or good enough to entertain you. But sometimes you do care like when there is a lot of extra exposition for a paper thin plot. It's not that bad since this show is fun and works, but the plot is merely there to serve whatever joke or song is required of it for better or for worse.

The theater: This show works great at the Playhouse where there isn't a bad seat and the last row is row P, but I worry about how it's gonna play at the Marquis. That theater just seemed so big to me when I saw Drowsy there. This show played a little bigger for me than Drowsy, but not much. A lot of my laughs came from seeing the characters takes and reactions. Comedys thrive off the audence energy and I worry that the back rows of the Marquis won't be on board.

One last thing... there was something really amazing about watching Harriet Harris work. She is an "old-school" musical comedy actress in a show full of kids and it was a lot of fun to watch her get the audience in the palm of her hand. She just seems to know her craft so well and her comic timing would milk every laugh with the precision of a surgeon.

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 11/14/07 at 10:40am

BrianS,
I saw the show last night and you really captured my feelings, too. Excellent write up.

This show is fun. It needs a bit of tightening up in the book department. Several scenes seemed flat and a bit draggy. I think they could lose a song, or two, as well.

Harriet Harris was a marvel. She took a rather poor (in my opinion) song in the second act and made it into a silk purse. I have to say I thought she was terrific.

James Snyder really needs to own that part. He's too much of a square right now. Even though he has the look and the sound, I don't really think he believes he is the part, and it shows. I'm hopeful he will grow into the part. (Patti Lupone had the same problem when I saw her in Evita in LA and look what happened there.)

The dancing is some of the best I've seen, especially in the second act. The men's prison scene was literally breath taking. They need to import that energy into the first Act. It didn't really get cooking until about half way through Act One, in my opinion. Also, the court room scene at the end of that Act really brings the energy down. Which is wrong for the end of the Act. I'm hopeful the creative team will work on these defects.

All in all an enjoyable show with a tremendous amount of potential, it is almost there.

EDIT TO ADD TWO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Carly Jibson, Lacey Kohl, Cristen Paige, and, especially, Alli Mauzey all have wonderful turns and are terrific.

Also, the chorus boys are smoken hot. And, I'm all for that!


Updated On: 11/14/07 at 10:40 AM

[BrianS]

Posted: 11/14/07 at 1:02pm

I should have mentioned how good the 3 "bad girls" were. They played off each other well. Then again, so did the square quartet. Basically, there doesn't seem to be a weak link in the cast.

P.S. My heart goes out to the girl who has to take her bow on Broadway in a pie costume. If ever someone deserved a quick change in the blackout...

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 11/14/07 at 1:32pm

Yes, maybe they can fix that. Of course, it's right up there as a "typical" John Waters moment. So, perhaps that's a good thing.

I liked how they kept quite a bit of the John Waters feel for this production. I hope that doesn't work against the show as a "crowd pleaser". It's quirky and fun.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/15/07 at 9:11pm

BrianS- Were you sitting in Row P? I was also there last night and I probably saw you.

John Waters was there taking notes throughout the entire performance. I have already noticed a handful of changes that have been made.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/15/07 at 9:27pm

Harriet Harris was a marvel. She took a rather poor (in my opinion) song in the second act and made it into a silk purse. I have to say I thought she was terrific.

Oh I agree. I think she took a good song and made it great. I heard that when Jan Maxwell did it in the workshops she could have one a TONY for it. I was incredibly pleased.



Posted On: 4/30/07 at 10:08 AM Updated On: 4/12/08 at 09:27 PM

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 6:41am

The night I saw the show, it was interesting that this song got the biggest response from the audience. Ms. Harris doesn't have a beautiful voice, for sure, but I think she sells the song pretty well.

I believe you've seen the show several times, how's it progressing in your opinion?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 7:59am

Harriet Harris makes me laugh whatever she does.

2 shows in one season...she's turning into the actor version of Joe Mantello (although arguably more talented).

Glad she's gonna have a shot at making up for Old Acquaintance.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 10:01am

When does the show officially open? Like, when will the reviews be out.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 11:02am

Edit - Nov 18th according the the article at the top of the page

Updated On: 11/17/07 at 11:02 AM

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 2:55pm

The show opens on Sunday so the reviews should be out sometime next week.

The changes have been made are mostly changes to get more laughs, lines here and there.

SPOILERS*

Here are the ones I noticed:

- The three girls of Cry Babys gang was added to the LETS DISAPPEAR country club scene.

- Monas mother no longer is in an iron lung in the Cort Room scene

- The beginning of THANKS FOR THE NIFTY COUNTRY is acapella

- Lenora shows her CRY BABY engraving later in the Turkey Point Scene

- Lenora is more visible during Girl Can I Kiss You...

- The girls strip out of there costume more upstage so that there nudity is less visible

and TONS of other line changes throughout...


Also, the ending music after the bows (where they shout out 'Get To Sleep', 'Drive Safely', 'Keep Your Cholesterol Down') is new.


I am seeing it again next week and I will report back more.

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 4:38pm

I can't believe they cut the Iron Lung! It was so random and John Waters-ish.

True, it didn't get a laugh (it was more of an incredulous stare) when I saw it, but I thought it was because the visual joke didn't get the right set-up. A couple of lines of dialogue earlier would have made the difference in the world.

Oh well...

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 5:22pm

I thought the reason that the it didn't land the joke was because you never really saw the mom selling the cigarettes at the beginning. She was just kind of there in the background.

[BrianS]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 5:45pm

I forgot to mention the band/orchestra in my review. When is the last time they were the first and last laugh in a show?

I didn't think there was enough set-up for the iron lung joke either. I hope they find the right tone to wrap things up in the final scene. Yes, the plot is just a coat hanger for the songs and jokes, but it either needs to be so funny that we don't care that it gets resolved so quickly or needs to feel more grounded. Right now, things aren't landing the way they should (e.g. who Lenore ends up with and why).

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 6:34pm

That is another thing that was changed.

*SPOILER*

Originally Lenora and Baldwin at the end 'got married on the moon'.

When I saw it they say that Baldwin goes to Yale and Lenora to the mental hospital in NY whose name escapes me right now...


*END SPOILER*

That orchestra is FANTASTIC!

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 8:03pm

neddy, what about an approx. running time? 2:20 perhaps?

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 9:23pm

This show sounds great ! If it's anything like Hairspray (because that's the show it will definetely be measured with) it will be a big hit ! So, what's the latest word, guys ? Will I be able to see it, on my NYC April trip ?

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/17/07 at 9:26pm

Yes, it will be open and playing in April.

If I remember correctly Act One is 1:10 and Act Two is 0:55 so it is around 2:225 with intermission.

[dented146]

Posted: 11/18/07 at 3:15am

Brian and neddy, I just returned from the show and pretty much agree with the reviews and comments. It's quite a good show.

For me the standout performance was Alli Mauzey. She has such a fabulous number and she kills with it. Also agree that the choreography was special especially for these days.

I was clear that it was very well received by the audience. Once the first act got going it was one terrific musical number after another. I liked the music but I loved the lyrics and the zany sexiness.

I felt the second act was a little weaker than the first( except for the dancing) simply because so much time is needed for Harriet Harris to bring the story to it's conclusion. But I did enjoy her number.

The lesds were good and I suspect that there must be a learning curve. Certainly the talent is there. The three girls are great together.

Very entertaining and a lot of fun.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 11/18/07 at 11:41am

Thank you neddy ! I am definetely seeing it, then !!!

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:10am

man... i'm getting real excited now... i'm going to see the show this saturday!!!!

[Christina Cooper]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:57am

I want to go.. But are tickets less expensive than broadway?? Or about the same?? And is the dress the same??

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:50pm

Cheaper than Broadway and dress is very casual.

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 4:02pm

You can get Area Two seats in the range $44-62 depending on the day of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday are least expensive. These seats are near the rear, but it's a nice sized theatre (about 500 seats). There really isn't a bad seat in the house. I've sat in the back row before and the view is fine.

There may be some discounts floating around, but I haven't seen any since the first week of previews.

La Jolla Playhouse Website Updated On: 11/19/07 at 04:02 PM

[Christina Cooper]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 4:42pm

sweet thanks!!