Cry-Baby

Today's art gives a shout out to Archie comics and the kids of Riverdale High.

Cry-Baby is not John Water's most popular film but it had a point of view. The film sent up the movies of Elvis Presley and Johnny Depp's teen idol reputation.

"It’s a parody. Johnny Depp’s screaming girl fans were confused by the movie. They knew we were making fun of something, but they didn’t realize it was them." ~ John Waters

Divorced from this context the Cry-Baby musical was about... capitalizing on the success of the Hairspray musical. While they shared a book writer the inferior score was by Broadway newcomers Schlesinger and Javerbaum. The show received praise for Harriet Harris's arch line readings and Ali Mauzey's demented torch song. I also enjoyed the cynical finale, "Nothing Bad Is Ever Gonna Happen Again." It was an anti "You Can't Stop the Beat." The rest of the show was bland and it closed after 68 performances.

Schlesinger and Javerbaum went on to write the opening number for the 2011 Tony Awards: Broadway's Not Just for Gays Anymore.

Hairspray

The musical Hairspray has been compared to Bye Bye Birdie. Both shows feature:

• A teen idol on a 60's television show
• A mix of adult and teen romance
• A racist antagonist

But while Rose's struggle with racial prejudice is a small subplot in Birdie the struggle to integrate the Corny Collins show is front and center in Hairspray.

Protagonist Tracy Turnblad has three goals in act one. She wants fame, love and for her unhappy mother to like herself. She achieves all three before the first act finale. Then she pushes for integration and puts her success at risk. When Tracy loses her nerve in Act Two she's called out on it. The exchange is more powerful than anything in Bye Bye Birdie and should never have been cut from the 2007 film.

Maybelle: Hold it. Nobody ever said this was gonna be easy. If something's worth having it's worth fighting for. Tracy, why did you start all this in the first place? Was it just to dance on TV?
Tracy: No.
Maybelle: Was it so you could get the boy?
Tracy: No. I almost lost him because of it.
Maybelle: Then maybe it was just to get yourself famous.
Tracy: No. I just think it's stupid we can't all dance together.

Some have criticized the musical for taking itself more seriously than John Waters' 1988 film. John Waters himself has praised the musical, though he also admits:

I've certainly made more from Hairspray-the musical, not the new movie-than anything I've ever made in my whole life. I'm very thankful to Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, who were very fair with me and brought me into the deal from the very beginning. It has been a great experience.

The Producers

As Hamilton gets ready to sweep the Tony's it's worth looking back at a previous cultural phenomena. The Producers was the right production at the right time and conquered Broadway in the 2001-2002 season. Replacement cast troubles and an unlucky film have tarnished the shows image. I had the good fortune to see the original Broadway cast. Last night I saw a terrific small scale production and learned two important things:

1. The material doesn't play itself. Mel Brooks' one joke songs require charm, personality and a healthy dose of shtick. 
2. The cast must be balanced. Max can carry the show. Roger can steal the show. But they need an honest Leo and Carmen to play off of. I've since learned that Leo can carry the show too. The parts have enough Roxy/Velma equality that "Till Him" can be the emotional climax if "Betrayed" underwhelms.

I think Hamilton will have a longer cultural footprint than The Producers but it's nice to see that the show can still dazzle in the right hands.

Adapting Annie

I've discussed Annie's unlucky sequel, Annie Warbucks, in the past. With a third film opening to bloodthirsty reviews I'd contrast the other adaptations. While Annie 2014 sets the story in a modern setting, the previous films have at least tweaked with the climax to place Annie in more peril and give their star villains more to do. Grace often gets a little more music too.

Your numbers may vary. I count "Sandy" and "Dumb Dog" in the 1982 film as one new song, and while Jamie Foxx sings "Something Was Missing" on the 2014 soundtrack I 've read it is not included in the film proper.

Annie Warbucks

Bring Back Birdie didn't dissuade Charles Strouse from attempting another sequel. Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge was going to be a triumphant comeback for Dorothy Loudon. Her Tony Winning Miss Hannigan would break out of jail, replace Annie with a doppleganger, and take on wacky disguises as she attempted to seduce Oliver Warbucks for his money. One disastrous out-of-town try out later the show cancelled its Broadway engagement.

In 1993 Annie Warbucks settled for Off-Broadway. The show replaced Miss Hannigan with two new villains. Donna McKecknie's gold-digger got the best reviews and the show lasted 200 performances.

The cast album has some fun moments, and this wouldn't be the last time Annie would receive a sequel or a re-imagining.