Ryan Foizey, Taylor Pietz Lead New Line Theatre's CRY-BABY

New Line Theatre, "the Bad Boy of Musical Theatre," will continue its 21st season of rock theatre March 1-24, 2012 with the American regional premiere of the Broadway rock musical CRY-BABY. The stage musical is based on the cult classic John Waters film starring Johnny Depp. The original creative team is reworking and re-orchestrating the show for New Line, to make it a smaller, more intimate musical for this first production since Broadway.

Director Scott Miller says, "We intend to prove that this razor sharp, wickedly funny show is so much better than its misfired Broadway production may have suggested -- just we did with High Fidelity in 2008. It's got balls and it's got bite."

The New Line cast includes...
Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker -- Ryan Foizey
Allison Vernon-Williams -- Taylor Pietz
Mrs. Vernon-Williams -- Cindy Duggan
Baldwin -- Mike Dowdy
Pepper Walker -- Marcy Wiegert
Wanda Woodward -- Chrissy Young
Mona "Hatchet-Face" Malnorowski -- Sarah Porter
DuPre -- Ari Scott
Lenora Frigid -- Terrie Carolan
The Whiffles -- Evan Fornachon, Devon Norris, Christopher Strawhun
Judge Stone -- Joel Hackbarth
Everyone Else -- Zachary Allen Farmer
Square Girls/Drape Girls -- Jen Sabbert, Alexandra Taylor

The show will be directed by Scott Miller and choreographed by Robin Michelle Berger, with costume deign by Amy Kelly, lighting design by Sean Savoie, scenic design by Scott Schoonover, and sound design by Donald Smith. Justin Smolik will lead The New Line Band.

CRY-BABY has a score by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger, and book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. O'Donnell and Meehan also adapted John Waters' Hairspray for the musical stage. CRY-BABY focuses on teenager Allison Vernon-Williams in 1954 Baltimore, right at the birth of rock and roll, who wanders across the tracks from her square boyfriend and finishing-school life into a forbidden relationship with the orphaned Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker, the leader of a pack of "bad kids." The musical premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in November 2007 and opened on Broadway in April 2008. It was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Choreography. It was also nominated for Best Musical by the Drama League and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.

For more info about the show, visit http://www.newlinetheatre.com/crybabypage.html

New Line Theatre is a professional company dedicated to involving the people of the St. Louis region in the exploration and creation of daring, provocative, socially and politically relevant works of musical theatre. New Line Theatre was created in 1991 at the vanguard of a new wave of nonprofit musical theatre just starting to take hold across the country. New Line has given birth to several world premiere musicals over the years and has brought back to life many shows that did not do well in their original New York productions. Altogether, New Line has produced 63 musicals and 5 concerts of theatre songs since 1991. New Line Theatre was recently given its own entry in the latest edition of the prestigious Cambridge Guide to American Theatre.

New Line receives funding from the Regional Arts Commission, the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, and the Missouri Arts Council. For more about New Line, go to www.newlinetheatre.com/contact.html

CRY-BABY runs March 1-24, 2012, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, at 8:00 p.m., at the Washington University South Campus Theatre (formerly CBC High School), 6501 Clayton Road, just east of Big Bend. March 1 is a preview. Tickets are on sale now through all Metrotix outlets, including the Fox Theatre and the Edison Theatre at Washington University, or by calling 314-534-1111. This show contains adult content.

HIGH SCHOOL DISCOUNT: New Line has created a new ticket discount for high school students. Any student with a valid school ID can get a $10 ticket at any performance, with the code word for that show, which will be posted on New Line's Facebook page, at http://www.facebook.com/NewLineTheatre

New Line also continues to offer the COLLEGE FREE SEATS, ten seats put aside for every performance, free to anyone with a valid college student ID, one ticket per ID. The Free Seats will be available at the theatre box office, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:55 p.m. on performance nights only.

EDUCATORS DISCOUNT: New Line now offers all currently employed educators half price tickets on any Thursday night, with work ID or other proof of employment. Not valid in connection with other discounts or offers, available only at the door, and subject to availability.

MILITARY DISCOUNT: New Line now offers all active duty military personnel half price tickets on any Thursday night, with ID or other proof of active duty status. Not valid in connection with other discounts or offers, available only at the door, and subject to availability.

For other information, visit New Line Theatre's full-service website at www.newlinetheatre.com. All programs are subject to change.

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