Cry-Baby to close on 22 Jun 2008

The new Broadway musical Cry-Baby has posted early closing notices and will play its final performance on 22 Jun 2008 - the musical had been booking through to 14 Sep 2008. When the show closes it will have played 68 regular performances and 45 previews.

Cry-Baby opened at the Marquis Theatre on 24 Apr 2008, following previews from 15 Mar 2008.

The musical opened to mixed reviews: "Terminally flat." (New York Times); "Over-caffeinated and under-motivated show." (New York Sun); "Wobbles onward to its labored conclusion." (Journal News); "Whatever its inspirations, this vanilla show lacks a fresh identity of its own." (Variety); "Will make you smile, and laugh, without patronizing you, or anyone else." (USA Today).

Cry-Baby had been nominated for a 2008 Tony for Best Musical, but that accolade went to In The Heights, and without that boost to audience attendence that the Tony Award would bring, it seems the show's sluggish ticket sales - the theatre has been just over 50% full the last two weeks - looked set to continue.

Cry-Baby is the second John Waters' film to be adapted for the stage as a musical comedy, the first being the 2003 Tony Award winning Best Musical Hairspray.

It's Baltimore in 1954. Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes Communism and Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker is the baddest boy in town. He's a rebel with a cause � truth, justice and the pursuit of rock 'n' roll � and when he falls for a good girl, his square little suburb rocks around the clock.

The musical stars James Snyder in the title role of Cry-Baby, Harriet Harris as Mrs. Vernon-Williams and Elizabeth Stanley as 'Allison' and also features Dwayne Clark (Dupree), Christopher Hanke (Baldwin), Carly Jibson (Pepper), Alli Mauzey (Lenora) and Richard Poe (Judge Stone).

Cry-Baby has book by Mark O�Donnell and Thomas Meehan, lyrics and music by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger, and is directed by Mark Brokaw with choreography by Rob Ashford.

The creative team comprises Scott Pask (sets), Catherine Zuber (costumes), Howell Binkley (lighting) and Peter Hylenski (sound).

The musical is produced on Broadway by Margo Lion; Adam Epstein; The Baruch, Viertel, Routh , Frankel Group; James D. Stern/Douglas L. Meyer; Rick Steiner/Frederic H. Mayerson; SEL & GFO; New Line Cinema, in association with Clear Channel Entertainment; A. Gordon/E. McAllister; D. Harris/M. Swinsky; J. & B. Osher.