Hairspray's Closing: Run And Tell That!It may be
anti-climactic, but it
is official!
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2003 --
Hairspray -- will close on January 4, 2009. But it won't be before the show's original Edna Turnblad enjoys one final victory romp across the boards of the
Neil Simon Theatre.
To date, the tuner has grossed over $265 million on Broadway alone. That's about
40 times the U.S. gross of the original
John Waters film from 1988 and
more than double the U.S. gross of
last year's movie musical.
Fortunately, the show won't close before welcoming back
Harvey Fierstein, who will reprise his Tony-winning turn as Edna one more time.
And you know what? I've already purchased my tickets to do my part to send the show off in style. Here's my little secret -- I have not seen Fierstein perform in the show since taking in the Seattle tryouts back in the summer of 2002, so my upcoming visit will mark my first time ever in the Neil Simon Theatre.
I'd say it's about time, wouldn't you?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Grosses, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, John Waters
Bye-Bye, BabyDespite showcasing its absolutely best number at Sunday night's Tony Awards (and even I concede
that was dazzling), the Broadway musical
Cry-Baby is set to close this Sunday, according to
Playbill (although as of this writing, tickets are still be sold for performances beyond that date). The tuner will have played 68 regular performances at the
Marquis Theatre in addition to its 45 previews.
ModFab
predicted as much on Monday. While the
Cry-Baby's capacity numbers last week of 64.4% didn't appear to be too terrible, dig a little deeper in the box office totals and you'll see that its average ticket price was rock bottom, coming in at $33.27. To put that into perspective, the only other show with an average ticket price under 50 bucks was
Les Liaisons Dangereuses at $49.75. Meanwhile,
Jersey Boys still commands an
average ticket price of $115.79!
Despite all those Tony nominations -- inspiring many,
including me, to wonder what those Tony nominators were thinking --
Cry-Baby never really caught the right footing, which is ironic given that
Rob Ashford's choreography was about the best thing to be said for the show.
Mark Brokaw directed this adaptation of
John Waters' film with a book by
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan and score by
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum.
Cry-Baby stars
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley, along with
Harriet Harris.
Given the
dreadful performance I saw three weeks into previews, there was nothing that made me want to return. In fact,
Cry-Baby earned the dubious distinction of
landing on my "Five Worst" list for the 2007-08 Theatrical Season.
Obviously, I won't be shedding any tears at this show's passing.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:The SOB Five "Worst" Of 2007-08 (May 23, 2008)
A Snubbed Affair (May 14, 2008)
Did Cry-Baby Induce Critical Cries of Joy? (April 25, 2008)
Cry-Baby Finally Given Birth On Broadway Tonight (April 24, 2008)
Theatre Etiquette, Part Four (Or Drunken City) (April 15, 2008)
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) (April 2, 2008)
Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Cry-Baby, Elizabeth Stanley, Harriet Harris, James Snyder, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, Rob Ashford
Things I Learned At The Tonys...As noted a couple days ago, I had the enormous pleasure of taking in the
American Theatre Wing's 62nd Annual
Tony Awards hosted by
Whoopi Goldberg on Sunday evening. And may I just state for the record that I thought Whoopi made an excellent host.
I learned so much, not only about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into this production, but also just how much
more fun actually being there can be. It's not just seeing the nominees and presenters in person, but the chance to see those amazing performances live one more time. It's also the nonstop buzz you feel from the moment you step onto the red carpet right up until you receive your Tony
swag bag upon departure from the Gala.
But there are other things I learned along the way, either from personal experience or overheard from others...
...Tonys weigh more than I thought they would ... Don't bother asking Harry Potter-cum-Broadway star
Daniel Radcliffe for an autograph ... It's perfectly fine to congratulate
S. Epatha Merkerson on her Tony nod (she was beaming as she escorted her mother around), just please
don't even think about approaching her in the ladies' room (and please don't approach me in the men's room, either) ...
John Waters was really
just kidding last year when he suggested he was working on a script called "Last Stall To The Left" about
Senator Larry Craig ... The restrooms
are "the great equalizers" at the Tonys (as I learned from my new friends Daniel and Donna from Lexington, Kentucky)...
...Not only does
Gypsy director
Arthur Laurents know a thing or two about pacing a show, he's pretty fast on his feet for a man of 90 years ...The orchestra is nowhere to be seen during the Tonys, prompting the justifiable wrath of
Patti LuPone during the dress rehearsals when she could not hear the music as she tried singing "Everything's Coming Up Roses" ... Speaking of dress rehearsals, only a few of the presenters were no-shows, including
Alec Baldwin,
Harry Connick, Jr.,
Laurence Fishburne and
Marisa Tomei ... Could be that last star's no-show that prompted
Lily Tomlin to mimic her actual appearance ... The morning rehearsals were just a tad too early for
Stew, who made his feelings known as the
Passing Strange troupe concluded rehearsing "Keys"...
...The ever gracious
David Pittu has written a show he's getting ready to premiere at the Atlantic ... across the Atlantic,
August: Osage County will make its West End debut this fall ... English actor
Mark Rylance lived in my hometown of
Mequon - Thiensville, Wisconsin during his formative years (since we're about the same age, I can't help but wonder if we ever met way back when) ... speaking of formative years,
Keith Carradine is
very proud of his progeny
Martha Plimpton (he served as her Tony Awards escort, appropriate given it was Father's Day)...
...The technical Tonys were skillfully hosted by the witty, dynamic duo of
Julie White and
Michael Cerveris ... even Tony winning stars like White can get excited about the chance to see other stars like Connick ... thanks to Cerveris, I finally learned how to properly pronounce
Les Liaisons Dangereuses ...
Laura Linney was gracious when at least one person told her they thought she was terrific in that play they can't pronounce ... "
Project Runway" winner
Christian Siriano's name was on the lips of countless young fans who were thrilled to meet him, while big stars like
Glenn Close walked right on by unbothered...
...Awards do occasionally get bent, just ask
Catherine Zuber ... As this year's winner for Best Costume Design for a Musical, Zuber was overheard telling someone complimenting her on her apparel choices (or lack thereof) for
Matthew Morrison, "I'm no dummy" ... In person,
In The Heights'
Olga Merediz looks to be about half the age of Abuela Claudia, the role for which she earned her Tony nod for Best Featured Actress in a Musical ... Speaking of
In The Heights, creator and lead actor
Lin-Manuel Miranda looks substantially younger without his trademark ivy style cap, and he was practically floating through the Gala crowd while on Cloud 9 all evening.
Here's toasting all the nominees and winners. I'd like to thank them for a truly spectacular year on Broadway. It's one that I'll never forget.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Tony Awards: Win Place Show (June 16, 2008)
Tony Time (June 15, 2008)
Strange: Passing In The Heights For Best Musical? (June 13, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Who Will Win (June 10, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Part III (June 6, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Part II (June 5, 2008)
SOB's 2008 Tony Picks - Part I (June 4, 2008)
And The Tony Nominees Go To... (May 12, 2008)
Labels: August Osage County, Catherine Zuber, Daniel Radcliffe, David Pittu, John Waters, Laura Linney, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Rylance, Martha Plimpton, Patti LuPone, S. Epatha Merkerson, Stew, Tony Awards
Did Cry-Baby Induce Critical Cries of Joy?First off, let me apologize for being so tardy today in posting this critics' capsule. I'm currently in Paris and enjoyed my day by strolling around this beautiful city, which I'm afraid takes precedence over
this site any day.
And given what
I thought of Cry-Baby during previews, it's not exactly like I was champing at the bit to drop what I was doing to post. You get it,
Cry-Baby critics' capsule or Paris?! Well, my feet finally needed a rest so here goes.
Last evening,
Cry-Baby, the second stage adaptation of a
John Waters, opened at the
Marquis Theatre under the direction of
Mark Brokaw. Boasting a book by
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan, the tuner features a score by
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum and a cast that includes
Harriet Harris,
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley. Critics were split on the merits of the show.
Concluding that "
Cry-Baby will make you smile, and laugh, without patronizing you, or anyone else,"
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today awards three out of four stars: "The rockabilly-inspired numbers that David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger have crafted for
Cry-Baby aren't as ambitious or infectious (as
Hairspray), but the show is similarly good-hearted, and has more of a Waters edge. Javerbaum and Schlesinger's lyrics and Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan's book are both more inventively crass and less snarky than those of other contemporary musical winkfests; you get the sense that these writers share Waters' affection for his goofy subjects."
Lamenting that it "just doesn't gel as well" as
Hairspray,
Clive Barnes of
New York Post nevertheless provides a mixed review: "...book writers Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, who co-wrote the book for
Hairspray, have done a pretty nifty job with material not nearly so malleable. Decidedly less nifty are the songs by David Javerbaum and Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger. The music comes in two rocky flavors -- cheery and droopy. It's the kind of music that makes you wonder whether you've heard it before, just before you stop caring."
Labeling the show as "tasteless,"
The New York Times' Ben Brantley calls out the blandness of the production, "I meant without flavor: sweet, sour, salty, putrid or otherwise. This show in search of an identity has all the saliva-stirring properties of week-old pre-chewed gum. (Not to be tasteless.)... The songs by Mr. Javerbaum (a producer for 'The Daily Show With
Jon Stewart') and Mr. Schlesinger (of the pop group
Fountains of Wayne) include plenty of rockabilly riffs and soulful wails (for a
Little Richard-like character played by
Chester Gregory II), but they often feel stuck in a groove, repeated until they go dry."
Criticizing it as "benign, kitschy satire,"
Variety's
David Rooney also is less than positive: "There's a lot of talent, sass and sweat onstage, particularly in the dance department, plus a sprinkling of wit in the show's good-natured vulgarity. But somehow, it never quite ignites."
Commencing his review by stating, "Some musicals have high ideals and aspirations. Some even have something profound to say.
Cry-Baby isn't one of them,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers two out of five stars: "It hits the mark about half the time, whenever the show is dancing. The star of
Cry-Baby is choreographer
Rob Ashford, who has created some of the most inventive and athletic dancing seen on Broadway all season.... Snyder and Stanley are likable leads, but it's two featured actors who stand out -- Chester Gregory II and
Carly Jibson, as soulful sidekick and nasty knocked-up sister of
Cry-Baby. They bring big talent and oddball originality to the stage -- precisely what this baby needed more of."
So there you have it folks, it looks like the show hasn't improved much from when
I saw it a few weeks ago. Critics are hardly excited by this latest entry on the Great White Way, and there's now only
one more original musical left to open before the season is officially over and the Tonys are announced. Doesn't look like
Cry-Baby will be in contention other than for supporting roles and Mr. Ashford's pretty decent choreography.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Cry-Baby Finally Given Birth On Broadway Tonight (April 24, 2008)
Theatre Etiquette, Part Four (Or Drunken City) (April 15, 2008)
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) (April 2, 2008)
Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Cry-Baby, Film, Harriet Harris, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, The SOB Preview, Thomas Meehan
Cry-Baby Finally Given Birth On Broadway TonightAfter one of the longest preview periods in Broadway history,
Cry-Baby finally opens at the Marquis Theatre. The musical marks the second time a
John Waters film has been given the tuner treatment.
Directed by
Mark Brokaw, this one has a book by
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan and score by first-timers
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum. The show's cast includes
Harriet Harris,
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley.
Will critics be crying with delight? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Theatre Etiquette, Part Four (Or Drunken City) (April 15, 2008)
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) (April 2, 2008)
Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Cry-Baby, Film, Harriet Harris, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Musical, Opening Night
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) - Marquis Theatre, New York, NY
* (out of ****)Those screeching sounds you hear are
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan as they literally scrape the bottom of the barrel.
You see, they've already gone beneath the
Grease, which with all due respect to
Mr. Riedel this morning, can no longer be deemed "the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values."
Au contraire, Michael.
Cry-Baby appears to be angling for that dubious honor. Despite its multi-million dollar budget, this new musical quite incredibly comes across as a poor man's
Grease with its tired good girl gone gaga for bad boy premise. Already three weeks into previews with -- surprise, surprise -- another three plus weeks to go, the latest
John Waters-inspired Broadway musical
Cry-Baby is trashy fun.
Without the fun.
How do I put this delicately without sounding like I'm piling on?
Cry-Baby is such a piece of doggy-do that not even
Divine would dare stomach it. In fact, I'd take "
Pink Flamingos The Musical" anyday over this if it were written by Waters himself.
With a cloying score by first-timers
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum, what little story there is limps along at a snail's pace. By the time we get to the closing tune "Nothing Bad's Ever Gonna Happen Again," it's too little and far too late for any reassurance given what we've already had to endure.
Not even
Harriet Harris can save this one. In
Cry-Baby, her Mrs. Vernon-Williams is merely an extension of other characters we've previously seen her portray. That she and
Chester Gregory II as Dupree manage to upstage leads
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley is not saying much.
If there is a silver lining, it's that first-time musical director
Mark Brokaw is at least benefitting from some fancy footwork from choreographer
Rob Ashford, particularly in the singularly rousing "Jailyard Jubilee" number. Indeed, Ashford seems much more in command than Brokaw. However, Ashford seems to have borrowed the license plate on shoe idea from
Matthew Bourne, who instead used trash can lids in the revival of
My Fair Lady currently touring the United States.
I can't help but wonder what the show would be like if only it had healthier doses of Waters' trademark ribald and subversively clever humor, such as in the opening scene when we first meet our "Squares" (antagonists) and "Drapes (protagonists) as they come together for a fleeting moment for their polio vaccines. Perhaps it would have been more interesting.
If there's any glimmer of hope for
Cry-Baby, it's that Waters himself was in the back of the theatre during my performance, hopefully helping punch up the script if he wasn't letting O'Donnell and Meehan have it first.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Cry-Baby, Film, Harriet Harris, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, The SOB Preview, Thomas Meehan
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) - Fitzgerald Theatre, St. Paul, MN*** (out of ****)I'll never forget the moment in my life when I felt truly corrupted. It occurred when I was just a 16 years old high school junior in suburban Milwaukee.
At the time, the person whom I considered my most subversive friend invited me to join him and a couple other friends to go to the
Oriental Theatre, Milwaukee's landmark film house -- then home to the midnight showing of "
The Rocky Horror Picture Show" -- to take in the
John Waters Film Festival. Since I had never before even heard of this amazing auteur, I was merely along for the ride.
Now, this was long before "
Hairspray" or "
Cry-Baby," let alone Waters' first real commercially viable film "
Polyester."
The bill for that fateful evening, more years ago than I care to admit, was a triple feature starring
Divine: "
Mondo Trasho," "
Pink Flamingos" and "
The Diane Linkletter Story."
The first was Waters' 1969 "gutter film" that followed the dastardly exploits of a hit-and-run driver. The second flick took the level of surprise to a previously unchartered territory by catching Divine eating dog feces immediately upon defacating. Waters had the audacity to film the last one just a day after
Art Linkletter's daughter committed suicide, allegedly under the influence of
LSD.
In recent years, Waters has become -- strangely enough and, most likely, much to his own horror --quite the celebrated mainstream icon, particularly as
Hairspray has not only become a Tony Award-winning Best Musical, but more recently came full circle as a celebrated
musical film.
So, the very evening that most of Broadway -- including the
Neil Simon Theatre, home to
Hairspray -- went dark with the first strike in over four years, I was striking out for St. Paul's
Fitzgerald Theatre to see the one and only John Waters. The Fitzgerald may have been named for the great
F. Scott and be best known for hosting
Garrison Keillor's "
A Prairie Home Companion." But Saturday night, it giddily gave way to arguably the leading eccentric director today.
Waters, replete with his trademark pencil-thin mustache, looks and sounds much younger than his 61 years. With
This Filthy World, he takes his audience through a 70-minute trek through his inspired life. It isn't so much a sentimental journey as a fascinating bizarro world of random discovery right through vignette after amusing vignette about each of his films and his life alongside them.
Despite his Catholic upbringing in Baltimore, Maryland, Waters became transfixed by the odd, and longed to tell tales no one else dared to tell. His goal admittedly was not to shock, but merely to surprise. Yet, in telling his life's story, Waters clearly revels in his own willingness to be daring. He gleefully claims "Hairspray" as his most subversive film ever, pointing to middle America enjoying two men singing lovingly to each other while cheering on its interracial couple.
Insidiously clever and armed with one of the sharpest and funniest, yet off-the-wall minds, it's no wonder that John Waters -- who's apparently always been on good terms with his devoutly Catholic parents (they've even helped finance his early efforts) -- has earned a well-deserved place, not only in America's consciousness, but also its hearts. It's a testament to his staying power that his romp down memory lane is so enjoyable.
So what's next for Waters? He hints at "Last Stall To The Left" about the Minneapolis airport stall that served as temporary home to
Senator Larry Craig -- he even indicated that on Sunday, he'd be given a personalized tour before flying out of town. But on Broadway, he'll soon be represented by the stage musical version of
Cry-Baby, based on his 1990 flick with
Johnny Depp. Don't be surprised if he'll once again be the toast of the town.
Oh, and that subversive friend I mentioned at the top?
Well, we're better friends than ever, even after all these years. He's now an esteemed professor of film at not one, but two world-renowned universities. Like Waters, he's demonstrated that anyone can become respectable, almost in spite of any idiosyncrasies.
Part of my ongoing personal lessons in life is that I'm taking a page out of both of their books and am all the better for it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Film, Fitzgerald Theatre, John Waters, Minneapolis/St. Paul, The SOB Review, This Filthy Life
Giving Birth To Cry-BabyDirector
Mark Brokaw knows a thing or two about birthing shows. And this November, he'll help bring the brand spanking new
Cry-Baby to life at San Diego's
La Jolla Playhouse.
Based on the 1990
John Waters flick, the Rialto-bound
Cry-Baby has a pretty impressive pedigree. For starters, in addition to Brokaw, one of my fave Broadway babies is on board: Tony winning actress
Harriet Harris, who'll make this her second Great White Way outing this theatrical season (she replaces
Jan Maxwell). Opposite Harris will be
James Snyder in the title role. Also in the cast is a terrific talent named
Carly Jibson, whom I first saw as Tracy Turnblad in the touring production of that other Waters-inspired musical
Hairspray.
Cry-Baby's book comes from two grown men who certainly know their way around Waters' material: the estimable
Thomas Meehan (
Annie,
The Producers)
and
Mark O'Donnell, the same duo who wrote the libretto for
Hairspray. Choreography will be provided
Rob Ashford, whose fine work is much in demand on both sides of the Atlantic these days. Broadway novices
David Javerbaum (writer for
Comedy Central's "
The Daily Show") and
Adam Schlesinger (
Fountains of Wayne) are writing the score.
Cry-Baby will be born on November 6 at La Jolla Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre. It's expected to reach Broadway in March with an April opening.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Cry-Baby, Film, First Word On New Show, Hairspray, Harriet Harris, John Waters, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, Rob Ashford, San Diego, Thomas Meehan
Stuck On HairsprayIt should be duly noted that occasionally, I
do see a movie or two.
A week ago Friday, the second silver screen incarnation of “
Hairspray” opened to favorable reviews and a wide audience, earning what was the best opening weekend of any movie musical
ever. Having adored the
original 1988 film, as well as having immensely enjoyed the
2002 Broadway stage musical adaptation, I was sure to make a beehive, er, bee
line to see the flick the day it was released.
While I still haven’t gotten over the fact that
Harvey Fierstein was not invited to reprise his Tony-winning take as Edna Turnblad, I went in with an open mind, deciding to give
John Travolta and the movie a chance.
And guess what? Thanks to his deft delivery of an adorable Edna by breaking new ground with his larger than life characterization, I actually forgot that I was watching the very same actor who was on fire as
Danny Zuko nearly thirty years ago.
But he's not even the show's best asset. You simply can’t help but fall in love with
Nikki Blonsky (as Tracy Turnblad), the young actress who
traded in her ice cream scooper for a giant lick in the big time. It’s been years since I’ve witnessed an unknown display such amazing grace and confidence her first time out.
Other standouts include
Zac Efron (Link),
Amanda Bynes (Penny) and
Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma Von Tussle). I’d be remiss not to mention both
James Marsden or
Elijah Kelley (Seaweed). Marsden provided a cheeky, yet luminescent presence as Corny Collins -- here’s hoping we’ll see him trade the big screen for a big stage musical with that big smile. And if there's any justice, it would be downright sweet to see Kelley replicate some of his moves by treading the boards, too.
The zippy pacing and exhilarating choreography by director
Adam Shankman made the film whiz by, although not too fast as to miss the show’s enormous heart, which was created in large part by the score from
Marc Shaiman and
Scott Wittman. Still -- and this will be the theatre snob coming out in me -- as much as they cranked the volume up on all the major numbers, including the dizzying finale, I couldn’t help but recall how much
more frenzied with delight the live show made its audience.
Although I missed many of the original tuner’s musical numbers stricken to help move the film along, I was certainly placated by the renditions offered with the credits – not the least of which was the gloriously inspired trio of
Rikki Lake,
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Nikki Blonsky singing “Mama I’m A Big Girl Now.”
Just for the record, I personally believe the best “Hairspray” of all remains the original
John Waters effort. But here’s hoping that this very enjoyable remake will inspire countless fans to make Broadway’s
Neil Simon or
London’s Shaftesbury Theatres a destination to see the slightly superior stage version. And it must be having an enormous impact as the Great White Way production is playing to standing room only houses for the third week in a row (quite a noteworthy rebound from its
steep decline last fall).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Hairspray Broadway tickets.Click here for Hairspray London tickets.Related Stories:
Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 26, 2007)
Touring Hairspray Caught In Sticky Net (April 26, 2007)
Hairspray To Brush With West End Style (March 9, 2007)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Film, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, John Travolta, John Waters, London, Musical, Nikki Blonsky
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck
Steve On Broadway has learned that the musical version of
John Waters'
Cry-Baby, which was to begin a four-week New York City workshop last month, will move forward without
Conrad John Schuck.
The actor perhaps best known for his role alongside
Rock Hudson and
Susan St. James on television's "
McMillan & Wife" has more recently become known to legions of youthful fans as Daddy Warbucks in the last Broadway revival of
Annie, as well as in the subsequent touring production.
Jan Maxwell is the other major acting name to be associated with the upcoming Broadway-bound tuner that will enjoy its world premiere this November at La Jolla Playhouse in California.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Casting Changes, Conrad John Schuck, Cry-Baby, Film, First Word On New Show, Jan Maxwell, John Waters, Musical
