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"CRY-BABY"
An exuberant but flawed new Broadway musical has opened at the Marquis Theater: "Cry-Baby," directed by Mark Brokaw. It is based--as the musical "Hairspray" was--on a John Waters film, and its book has been written--as "Hairspray's" was--by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. They are solid pro's, who know how to deliver laugh-getting lines. And if you are looking for some laughs, you won't be disappointed.
This show is set in the 1950's, with a so-called "good girl" attracted to a so-called "bad boy." These romanticized "bad boy" outsiders--who inevitably turn out to be good-hearted, unfairly misjudged and misunderstood by society--are a staple of youth musicals. And of course the idea of a girl falling for a guy her parents wouldn't have chosen for her has certainly been around for a long time. (Who can be more attractive than the person you're not supposed to be attracted to?) As a plot device, it has helped propel shows from "Romeo and Juliet" to "Footloose."
Having sat through so many forgettable youth musicals in recent years, from "Happy Days" at Paper Mill Playhouse to "All Shook Up" on Broadway, I wasn't sure there was a need for still another youth musical right now. But there's some clever writing in this musical. And Brokaw has directed this show, winningly, with attitude; he satiriizes and skewers with aplomb conformist society. This show has a sharper edge than shows like "Grease," "All Shook Up," ""Happy Days." Despite its shortcomings--which I'll get to in a moment--I enjoyed it more than those shows. Brokaw understands the characters, and makes the most of the material. He has a knack for doing youth-oriented productions (with a particular understanding of-"outsiders"), having previously directed two very good ones, Kenneth Lonnergan's "This is Our Youth" and Lynda Barry's "The Good Times Are Killing Me."
The cast of "Cry-Baby," led by James Snyder and Elizabeth Stanley as the teens who fall in love, performs with conviction. Christopher Hanke gets some nice moments as the good-two-shoes who feels entitled to the good girl. And Harriet Harris is wonderful in a supporting role as the girl's grandmother. I wish she could have been given more to do. She commands the stage so thoroughly in her one musical number,and eats up so deliciously every line she's given, it's a pity her role could not have been built up a bit more. (The plot be damned! You have a performer that intriguing, you make the most of her!)
The energy level remains high from start to finish. Rob Ashford's choreography is a treat. Dance captain/assistant choreographer Spencer Liff is a standout.Some of the songs by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger are really fun, including "Screw Loose" (carried off perfectly by Alli Mauzey), and "Misery, Agony, Helplessness, Hopelessness, Heartache and Woe," which sends up every teen angst song every written. The songwriters are good at evoking high-spirited 1950's rock 'n' roll. And I genuinely enjoyed a good deal of their work.
But, ultimately, there is not enough variety in the music. Too much of it sounds and feels similar. And the script, while quite funny, also seems to be striking the same note too often, and for too long. I enjoyed a great deal of this show. It's livelier and brighter and more colorful than many shows around. But for me, it came to feel like a clever sketch that went on for too long. After a certain point, it got predictable. Better plays, like "This is Our Youth" and "The Good Times Are Killing Me" could make us laugh, but also touch us, affect us, offer insights, make us feel we'd experienced something real. This show made me laugh, but that was all; and in the end, that was a bit disappointing. A first-rate musical, like "The Music Man," opens our hearts. This isn't operating at that level. But there's some fun to be had here. And Harriet Harris deserves a Tony nomination, for making so much out of her featured role.
--J.J.
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