Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY
Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY
Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#1
Posted: 11/5/07 at 12:13pm
DISCLAIMER: There are tons of mistakes in here (spelling and punctuation) but I wrote this in a hurry and I don't have time to go back and fix them.
I saw the Invited Dress of Cry Baby last night, and while I know it is not fair to judge a production based on the invited dress of an out-of-town tryout - I thought I would dash down a few of my thoughts.
- The show as a whole is very stronge and will run on Broadway for years. It has the comercial appeal and the show is a realy crowd pleaser. The show is TONS of fun and there is loads of energy in the cast, it is really something rare.
- The music is one of the best original Broadway scores that I heard in a while. The score goes so well with each scene and the songs fit in really well. The drape songs are very rockabilly (sp?) and the square songs are very tight harmonies, and the whiffles sing some great Barber Shop Quartet type songs (only better!).
- The lyrics are one of the strongest parts of this production. They are down right hilarious. The only problem is that with the TERRIBLE sound design (couldn't understand half of what they said) you miss a fair amount of them. GIRL CAN I KISS YOU WITH TOUNGE was a real crowd pleaser and the song was a hoot.
- Rob Ashford's coreography is very appropriate for this show. During scene transitions there are 6 dancers that come down there is a short little dance break that transitions the scenes and his coreography is esspecialy great there. The rest of the coreography is fun and imaginative and like I said before very appropriate for the show. There is also a fun number that involves some actors attaching license plates to their feet and tap dancing, the number would have been a lot more exciting had the whole mens ensemble done that instead of just three people.
- The book is funny but it needs more work. Some of the jokes get lost but that could have something to do with terrible sound design. The entire second part of the second half really drags on. It is to plot heavy and it really drags. Several times throughout the show it really drags and the energy is lost. The main characters are also severley underwritten (which is also kind of the fun of the show) and the audience does not connect or care about the character CRY BABY. They really need to do something about that.
- I am really mixed on Scot Pask's set design. The show itself is very pretty to look at but there are times when I feel like I am watching an empty stage. There are times when the stage is full of sets and others when the stage is just empty. But to their defense, not everything has arrived yet. The stage is kind of the same colour as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the baby blue, and it even uses the panals around the stage. During a square scene the entire stage is a perfect square but during a drape scene the entrie stage shifts so everything is crooked looking, it is a very cool effect.
- Elizabeth Stanley is fine in the underwhelming, underwritten part of Alliosn. She does justice to the role but there isn't very much there for her to work with. She has the star quality that she needs, I just wish there was more meat for her to chew on.
- James Snyder has everything going for him - he has the moves, looks, acting chops, and g-d knows he has the voice. But he lacks that star quality. This is his first time in a major stage show so he might be still working on finding his way. He needs to be able to command that stage like no other, and right now he is just getting lost in the background. I think this guy has LOADS of potential but he just needs to work it a little bit.
I think he will get there and I see a TONY nomination is his future.
- Christopher J. Hanke as Baldwin is great. He really plays the character as the two faced brat that Baldwin is. He needs to explore the nuance's of his character and I also could see a TONY nomination in his future.
- Carly Jibson, Lacey Khol, and Christen Page are all hilarious in Cry Baby's gang - esspecially Carly Jibson. They really had me laughing hard during the show. They do have a song Class Dismissed that needs to be re-written. It is a fairly important song plot wise but I think that they could do better.
- Harriet Hariss was pretty stinkin bad. I was expecting a lot from her, and she did not deliver at all. She plays the character with a weird accent that is hard to understand at times and she loses SO MANY laughs. She just says the lines to quickly or she will get stomped on by the person after her so you miss the entire line. She REALLY needs to work on it. She also has the 11 o'clock number of the show and it really could win somebody a Tony. I don't know if she just can' sing or what, but it was TERRIBLE. I could not wait for the song to end! I heard that Jan Maxwell was so much better in that role, I wish it were her up on that stage.
- The girl who steals the ENTIRE show is ALI MAUZEY as Lenora, Cry Baby's crazy fan girl. She literally steals EVERY scene she is in, well her and her imaginary friends do... She has a great song in Act One called Loose Screw or something that is a hoot. She knows how to command a stage. I don't know if her part is big enough but I also see a Tony nomination in her future.
Overall, the show is loads of fun and I really LOVED it, and I don't often LOVE a show. It does need some work, but it is work that can easily be fixed if they chose too. Mark Brokaw just needs to work on making his actors heard and on the line delivery. So many great lines get lost....
If you have any questions I will be happy to answer them (but I might not be back at a computer till later tonight).
Updated On: 11/5/07 at 12:13 PM
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#2
Posted: 11/5/07 at 12:19pm
Thanks for this! But...
"some great Barber Shop Quartet type songs (only better!). "
WTF? Why the Barbershop hatin'?
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/05
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#2
Posted: 11/5/07 at 12:20pm
"Screw Loose" is an amazing song, I agree. So funny!
I can't wait to see it when it comes to NY.
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#3
Posted: 11/5/07 at 12:22pmI wasn't hatin on the Barbershop Quartets, I was just saying that these are not your typical Barbershop Quartet songs. They use a four part harmony in a very simmilar fashion except the songs are so much more funny then your typical barbershop quartet. Plus there is an orchestra playing which I guess would by definition not make it a Barbershop Quartet.
Broadway Star Joined: 10/8/07
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#4
Posted: 11/5/07 at 1:19pm
I'm not saying that you have a split personality or anything, but that review confused me.
You said it will run for years, but then you said it drags (three times) and that the main characters are severely underwritten. To me, a show can't be a hit without a solid book and a great score (or vise versa). You said the lead guy gets "lost in the background" but then said you see a TONY nom for him. I could see early TONY nom predictions for a newcomer like Sierra Boggess in TLM, where literally everyone who sees the show says that she is amazing, but if this guy is lacking so much, why would you say that?
I actually have high hopes for this show. The last workshop in NYC had such good buzz coming out that even Michael Riedel (a man who loves to focus on the negative) wrote a positive piece about it. If you're right, I hope it tightens up before the transfer.
Chorus Member Joined: 12/3/05
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#5
Posted: 11/5/07 at 2:38pm
I, too, was at the invited dress of Cry Baby last night and must say (as have so many others before me) that it's downright unfair to "review" a show before it's open, before it's in previews, or in fact in this case, hours after its first complete run-through.
And to slam the sound design not once but twice while they're still teching is obnoxious. It's like criticizing the costume designer because the Lucky Strike girl's box wasn't finished yet.
I don't know how or why your were invited to the dress, but if I'd invited you, I'd be sure not to in the future.
Comic Book Guy: Last night's "Itchy and Scratchy Show" was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever. Rest assured, I was on the internet within minutes, registering my disgust throughout the world.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#6
Posted: 11/5/07 at 2:51pmInteresting, since I had very opinions on the show last night. Updated On: 11/5/07 at 02:51 PM
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#7
Posted: 11/5/07 at 5:20pm
Interesting, since I had very opinions on the show last night.
Very what --Very similar? Very different?
Your review is definitely a little ambivalent and confusing, but I'm glad you enjoyed the show. I can't wait until it gets to NYC.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#8
Posted: 11/5/07 at 5:23pm
If they were to take the show right now and put it on Broadway I am going to stand by what I said, that it will be a HUGE hit.
With that being said, there are a number of things that they could do to make this show even better. The show is already great, they just need to make it amazing. And the things that I think they need to do to make it amazing, I listed above.
The faults that I listed in the show are not major problems, and
chances are the average person won't notice them. I was/am very hard on this show because it has a top notch cast and creative team, so I have VERY high expectations from them.
If you read what I said, I said that I thought James Snyder will get a Tony Nomination by the time this show goes to Broadway. He wouldn't get one based on the performance I saw last night, but with time he can only get better... I neverr said he is lacking "so much". The book is solid, it just needs some work - but you try and find me a book that was 100% solid on the invited dress rehearsal of the out of town tryout.
If the critics were to go to the performance I saw last night it would have gotten Mixed-Positive reviews. For an the invited dress of an out of town tryout, that means they are in GREAT shape.
I don't really think there is anything wrong with me posting my quick thoughts on what they could do to improve this show after an Invited Dress. I am actually giving the show pretty good press right now. I loved the show (with the exception of Harriet) and I hope that I can see it again sometime during the run. I just think that there are some changes that can be EASILY made and I hope that they will make them.
Chorus Member Joined: 12/3/05
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#9
Posted: 11/6/07 at 3:33am
Yeah, great press...
"The book is funny but it needs more work. Some of the jokes get lost but that could have something to do with terrible sound design. The entire second part of the second half really drags on. It is to plot heavy and it really drags. Several times throughout the show it really drags and the energy is lost. The main characters are also severley underwritten (which is also kind of the fun of the show) and the audience does not connect or care about the character CRY BABY. They really need to do something about that.
Swing Joined: 2/12/07
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#10
Posted: 11/6/07 at 3:52am
i am glad to hear that you enjoyed the show Hatchet-Face.
i will be seeing it sometime in december before it closes and i cant wait.
Updated On: 11/6/07 at 03:52 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#11
Posted: 11/6/07 at 8:39amI was gonna call Hatchet Face a shill, but there were more negative points in his/her comments than positive, so...
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#13
Posted: 11/6/07 at 10:33am
WHAT IS THE RUNNING TIME
WHAT IS THE RUNNING TIME
WHAT IS THE RUNNING TIME
WHAT IS THE RUNNING TIME
WHAT IS THE RUNNING TIMEWHAT IS THE RUNNING TIMEWHAT IS THE RUNNING TIMEWHAT IS THE RUNNING TIME
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
Broadway Star Joined: 10/8/07
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#14
Posted: 11/6/07 at 12:31pmYeah, what is the running time? And does ANYONE know what snacks they are selling at the concession stand?!
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#15
Posted: 11/6/07 at 6:28pm
To me, a show can't be a hit without a solid book and a great score (or vise versa).
Then you are a bit naive. Think MARY POPPINS, THE COLOR PURPLE, CATS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, STARLIGHT EXPRESS (A hit in London), AIDA, and WICKED...all hits, all lack either a solid book, a great score, and in a few cases both.
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#16
Posted: 11/6/07 at 7:36pmOoh, I can't wait to see this.
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#17
Posted: 11/6/07 at 8:05pm
The show curtain is a baby blue curtain.
It sounds boring but it has a a lighting effect on it which gives it a cool look.
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#18
Posted: 11/7/07 at 3:17pm
"- Christopher J. Hanke as Baldwin is great. He really plays the character as the two faced brat that Baldwin is. He needs to explore the nuance's of his character and I also could see a TONY nomination in his future."
i'm so excited for Christopher i'm going to cry! lol. i'm so happy the show is doing well so far. =) i can't wait until it comes to broadway.
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#19
Posted: 11/7/07 at 3:19pm
previews started november 6th.
it officially runs from november 18th to december 16. i'm pretty sure.
Broadway Star Joined: 10/8/07
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#20
Posted: 11/7/07 at 3:35pm
rayandallthatjazz86: While I'm entertained that you would call me naive based on what I said, yes, there are exceptions to every rule and you were able to find 7 of them. I have a cookie waiting for you. I did use the word "can't" and I'm sorry. I forgot how specific we have to be on this board. By and large, if you look at the great musicals that were hits or the very bad failures, you will see that what I am saying is absolutely true. I won't bore this board with a list, but if you still disagree, pm me and I'll list over 100 shows in each category just for you (it's no trouble as it's an easy copy paste job from lists of hits and failures of bway shows).
I was asking how he said this was going to be a hit when an element as important as the book was so far out of whack that he said it drags three times in three different ways.
And Wicked has a good book and great score.
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#21
Posted: 11/8/07 at 4:19am
Just got back myself, and I was rather underwhelmed. Act 1 fell flat for me, but act 2 had a little more pop in it (in both the music and book). The performances were fine, the material felt like 7500 other mediocre screen to stage adaptations.
One thing which I did like was how the stage's masking would shift to different angles dependent which characters were holding sway on the stage, it's one of the few design elements which really grabbed me.
oh well... I still stand by my prediction... Passing Strange for the best musical tony
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/06
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#22
Posted: 11/8/07 at 3:36pm
http://www.pe.com/entertainment/stories/PE_Ent_Daily_D_upfront09.14aa28b.html
-Adam Shankman.
"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"
"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#23
Posted: 11/8/07 at 4:59pm
I think the movie is kind of dumb but I don't really "get" the humor in John Water's movies.
I like plot heavy musicals! Just, you know, I like it when they convey the plot with music.
joey
re: Some Quick Thoughts on CRY BABY#24
Posted: 11/8/07 at 5:52pm
I tried to post some pictures but I don't know if they will work.
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