New Musical 'Cry-Baby' Begins at La Jolla Playhouse

Previews begin November 6, for La Jolla Playhouse's Broadway-bound world premiere musical adaptation of the Universal Pictures John Waters cult classic film Cry-Baby; Opening Night scheduled for November 18, performances through December 16.  Mark Brokaw (Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned to Drive) directs.

"When silver-spooned 'Square' Allison Vernon Williams falls for the spit curl charm of leather-jacket clad 'Drape' Cry-Baby Walker, her charm school world of bobby sox and barbershop quartets will never be the same. Set in 1954 Baltimore at the dawn of rock 'n' roll, Cry-Baby tells a not-so-typical story of bad boy meets good girl, and what happens when the good girl can't resist finding out if he's as bad as they say. Hilarity ensues as their town desperately tries to keep the two star-crossed lovers on their respective sides of the track. This riotous, trash-with-flash spoof is a testament to teenage rebellion," explain press notes.

Cry-Baby features a book by Tony Award-winners Mark O'Donnell (Hairspray) and Thomas Meehan (Hairspray, Young Frankenstein, Annie, The Producers), lyrics and music by Emmy Award-winner David Javerbaum ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" Executive Producer/former Head Writer) and Grammy Award-nominee Adam Schlesinger (from pop group Fountains of Wayne) and choreography by Rob Ashford (Curtains, The Wedding Singer and Thoroughly Modern Millie).

James Snyder stars in title role of king of the Drapes, Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker. Other stage credits include the Los Angeles productions of Rock of Ages (also Las Vegas) and Happy Days; The Fantasticks (Sacramento Music Theater); Hamlet; Ray Bradbury's Let's All Kill Constance; Sneaux; Plop and Oklahoma!. In addition, he played Luke Skywalker in the critically-acclaimed production Star Wars Trilogy in 30 Minutes in Los Angeles, Paris and Scotland. Film credits include An American in China, Anderson's Cross, Shuttle, She's the Man and Pretty Persuasion, which premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. He has also lent his voice to the animated films Tuck Everlasting and Darby O'Gill.

Cry-Baby's very square love interest, Allison Vernon Williams, is embodied by Elizabeth Stanley, whose Broadway credits include April in the Tony Award-winning revival of Company. Select regional credits include Belle in Beauty and the Beast (Pioneer Theatre Company), Brooke in Noises Off! (Weathervane Theatre), Daisy in Side Show (Weathervane Theatre), Amneris in Aida (Gateway Playhouse), Sugar in Sugar (Gateway Playhouse) and Lucy in the opera The Telephone (Seaside Music Theatre).

Playing Allison's grandmother Mrs.Vernon Williams, the grand dame of Square-dom, is the grand dame of comedy herself, Harriet Harris. Harris is the recipient of the 2002 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Mrs.Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie, which began at La Jolla Playhouse. Harris received the 2006 L.A. Stage Alliance Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for On the Town. Broadway credits include Old Acquaintance and The Man Who Came to Dinner and Off Broadway credits include Rude Entertainment; Jeffrey (Drama Desk nomination); Bella, Belle of Byelorussia (Drama Desk nomination), directed by La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley; and Innocents' Crusade, directed by Cry-Baby's Mark Brokaw. Film credits include Memento, Nurse Betty and Addams Family Values, and Harris is often recognized for her television work on "Desperate Housewives," "Frasier," "Six Feet Under" and "The X-Files."

The rest of Cry-Baby's gang includes Cristen Paige as Mona, Carly Jibson as Pepper, Lacey Kohl as Wanda and Chester Gregory II as Dupree.  Plus Alli Mauzey as Lenora and Christopher J. Hanke.

The ensemble includes Cameron Adams, Ashley Amber, Nick Blaemire, Michael Buchanan, Eric Christian, Colin Cunliffe, Joanna Glushak, Michael D. Jablonski, Marty Lawson, Spencer Liff, Courtney Laine Mazza, Mayumi Miguel, Richard Poe, Torrey Ross, Eric Sciotto, Peter Matthew Smith, Allison Spratt, Charlie Sutton and Stacey Todd Holt.

The cast of Cry-Baby

Previews begin Tuesday, November 6 at 7:30PM; a Limited Opening is Sunday, November 18 at 7PM followed by a secondary press opening Tuesday, November 20 at 7:30PM.  Performances run through Sunday, December 16 at 7PM.

Show times are Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 7:30PM; Thursdays & Fridays at 8PM; Saturdays at 2PM (no matinee during first two weeks) & 8PM; and Sundays at 2PM & 7PM.

Tickets range from $40 - $100
Preview Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. & Sun. matinee: $50 (Area 1) / $40 (Area 2)
Preview Sat.: $54 (Area 1) / $44 (Area 2) / Tues. & Wed.: $54 (Area 1) / $44 (Area 2)
Thurs., Sun. evenings & Sat. matinees: $60 (Area 1) / $50 (Area 2)
Fri. & Sun. matinees: $64 (Area 1) / $54 (Area 2)
Sat. evenings: $72 (Area 1) / $62 (Area 2)

Discounts: Seniors (62 yrs and over), Student and Military – $3 off all performances except Sat. night
Subscriber Youth Discount (17 yrs and under) – Subscribers can get 1/2 off for youth tickets
ACCESS Performance (ASL discount) – $10 tickets to show on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2PM
Subscriber Discounts – $5 off tix for 6 play subscribers; $3 off for others

For tickets call 858-550-1010 or visit www.lajollaplayhouse.org.  The box office is located at 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla, CA.

Photos: James Snyder (courtesy IMDB.com); Elizabeth Stanley (by Linda Lenzi); Harriet Harris (by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd)