Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show
Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show
Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#1
Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:09pm
On Broadway, "Cry Baby" functioned as nothing more than "Hairspray"-lite. The two shows were uncannily similar, from their book writers to Baltimore to the John Waters factor to the music/dance styles of the show. People, most notably tourists, interesting in seeing "Hairspray" would simply go to see "Hairspray" and ignore its "sister" show unless they had extra time and extra money. And because the show works best with an audience that are not Broadway afficianados (its been getting bad buzz here and on other message boards), it really never had a chance to break out as a viable hit show, no matter what the quality was.
On the road, in theaters and cities where "Hairspray" isn't obvious and continuous competition, the show will be able to prosper properly and bring in just the audience that was overlooking it at the Marquis, i.e. Waters fans, "Hairspray" fans, dance fans, adults with younger children and Baby Boomers.
In terms of quality, I feel the show would also blossom if trimmed extensively, perhaps to the point where they retool it as a 90-minute show with no intermission. The problems, I think, are mostly in the first act's inability to find any musical, dramatic or comedic traction. It's SO scattershot and the songs SO underwhelming that many of the songs could be easily snipped with little lost, and several of the repetitive scenes (the Polio picnic followed immediately by the gas mask ball?) being condensed. The second act, however, is strong enough to (mostly) be left intact.
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#2
Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:13pmwell I'd never see it on Broadway, because of prices and travel, but if the seats are cheap enough which they should be, i'd consider it on tour
Joined: 12/31/69
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#2
Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:23pmI would love to see it tour but it seems unlikely, no?
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#3
Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:25pmi thought i read it's already a lock but I'll check
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#4
Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:25pmThey've announced a tour to premier in '09, probably to help salvage the costs of such a huge show closing so prematurely on Broadway and using those sets.
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#5
Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:28pmthey really need the money I'm guessing, producers had really (and honestly stupid) high expectations for the show
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#6
Posted: 6/22/08 at 9:49pm
There are SO many sets to that show, I was absolutely surprised because the budget must have been at least $10 mil.
And really neat, interesting sets too. I loved the prison yard and the courtroom that turned into a prison, but my favorite was the house that turned around into the women's correctional facility and the cell.
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#7
Posted: 6/22/08 at 11:18pm
Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show:
Because most tour audience members are subscription holders, who usually don't care what the show is.
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#8
Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:19amI didn't get to see the show on Broadway, but would love to see it on tour if it comes to my city!
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#9
Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:26am
The show needs a big overhaul if its going to have a touring life and it also needs producers who feel it can make money on tour (the amount they have just lost on Broadway most be over 9 million at least)
And don't all shows announce a tour when they close? it does not always mean it will happen, sometimes i think it's just to save face.I know here in the UK every time a show closes it will apparently tour and then we never see it again (even the dreadful Rent Remixed said it was going to tour)
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#10
Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:33amWhen I spoke to the cast at the stage door, they seemed very hopeful about the tour and said they were talking with producers about reprising roles for it, so I'm assuming the tour is a lock
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#11
Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:36amNever assume anything when it comes to theatre
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#12
Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:38amSo then why are you assuming it's not going to happen?
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#13
Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:42am
Where did i say it would not happen?
I said it would need an overhaul and producers who would be willing to sink even more money in to a major flop, and i said that when shows announce a tour they dont always tour
i never said it wont happen
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#14
Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:37pm
No no and no. No one said "should we see Hairspray or Cry-Baby?" People either wanted to see Cry-Baby or they didn't. Most people chose not to see it. A lot of different shows on Broadway have the same creative team. So to blame Cry-Baby's downfall on Hairspray is rather simplistic.
"Because most tour audience members are subscription holders, who usually don't care what the show is."
Not only that, but they don't get to choose shows, so they are paying for the tickets to a show whether they want to see it or not. Thanks to subscription shows, most tours can make their money back.
Broadway Star Joined: 10/15/06
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#15
Posted: 6/23/08 at 6:44pmI feel like Cry Baby wouldn't be able to sell tickets on tour beyond subscription holders...
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#16
Posted: 6/23/08 at 8:01pm
I am glad that Cry-Baby is going to tour, even if it was a flop. Those of us not in NYC want to see these shows on broadway whether they flopped or not.
And the reason I think it can do well on tour is simply because tour stops dont have the variety like NY or Chicago. Cities like Denver (a pretty big venue) get one or two shows a month; as a result, there isn't this tough competition.
And it's true a lot of us are subscription holders.
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#17
Posted: 6/23/08 at 8:41pmIf its success on tour would be "because it's not up against Hairspray," why not just make another tour of Hairspray?
re: Why Cry Baby Can Work As A Touring Show#18
Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:02pmI heard Christopher Hanke telling someone at stagedoor that the tour would be non-eq...which makes sense given the possible failure of the tour. I hope non-eq performers can handle that crazy ass choreo.
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