Cry-Baby Musical to Be Born on Broadway Next Year?

Michael Riedel of The New York Post reports that Cry-Baby, the new musical based on the popular 1990 John Waters film, will open in New York this March.

As previously announced, Cry-Baby will have its world premiere at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse from November 6th through December 23rd.

Riedel also writes that an upcoming invitation-only private staged reading of the musical will feature Tony Award-winner Jan Maxwell (Coram Boy), Tony Award-nominee Megan Lawrence (The Pajama Game) and Company star Elizabeth Stanley, as well as newcomer James Snyder in the role that Johnny Depp made famous on film.  He's the right guy.  He's a worthy successor to Johnny Depp," said Allan S. Gordon, one of the producers of the musical.

"Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker is a rebel with a cause - truth, justice and the pursuit of rock 'n' roll.  The John Waters cult film gets a theatrical polish in this hilarious new musical!," state La Jolla notes on the new musical, which will be directed by Mark Brokaw, with music by Fountain of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger and lyrics by David Javerbaum (former head writer of "The Daily Show").  Cry-Baby will be the second musical based on a John Waters film to hit Broadway.  The first, Hairspray, won a Tony Award for Best Musical and continues as a Broadway hit and the subject of an upcoming movie musical.  Hairspray's bookwriters, Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, also penned the book for Cry-Baby.  According to Riedel, Waters has taken a more active hand in the production of Cry-Baby than he had with Hairspray, and also chose Schlesinger and Javerbaum as the creators of the show's score.  Cry-Baby is reportedly budgeted at $10 million.

Visit www.lajollaplayhouse.org for more information on Cry-Baby at La Jolla Playhouse.