In the USA Today blog Pop Candy, John Waters offers a little post-mortem on the demise of Cry-Baby, the second musical based on one of his movies to make it to Broadway, which closed on June 22 after 113 performances.Why do you think Cry-Baby didn't translate to Broadway and Hairspray did?
"I never answer my critics, but a negative review in the New York Times on a Broadway musical is almost impossible to survive. And maybe the '50s are a little used up. ... I wrote a letter to the cast and everybody who was involved, and I basically said, "You know, the cliche is your productions are all like your children, and I like the one that causes the most trouble and is misunderstood." So I guess that would be Cry-Baby. You know, I was an insider, and now I'm an outsider again, so I have to thank them for that."
3 comments:
Esther, John Waters will really never be an outsider again. He's contributed far too much to the entertainment mainstream to be found on the fringes again. But I have no doubt that's where he's happiest.
Yeah, you're right Steve, on both counts. I think Waters' comment probably reflects a little defensiveness over "Cry-Baby," which is totally understandable.
But I do have to take issue with his statement that it's almost impossible to survive a negative review in The New York Times. Plenty of Broadway musicals thrive despite negative reviews.
You're right: Wicked, Mary Poppins, Grease...
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