Broadway has benefited from legendary impresarios—Harold Prince, David Merrick, Cameron Mackintosh, to name a few. Adam Epstein seems poised to join that illustrious company. For this 32-year-old producer, the magic formula for musical theatre is a mix of heart and intelligence. He elaborates, "I like the good guy to win in the end. I'm a sentimentalist, but I also like 'smart.' And I like for a show to be blazingly sincere." Epstein's personal touch will be on view when the pre-Broadway production of the new musical Cry-Baby opens Nov. 18 at La Jolla Playhouse. This is his second musical adaptation of a John Waters film, following 2002's Tony-winning Hairspray. Epstein met veteran producer Margo Lion in 1999, and this led to their Hairspray collaboration, which he calls "the turning point of my career." Hairspray was Epstein's first project as a lead producer, following several ventures as an associate producer or co-producer; the show's smash success on Broadway—embellished by a triumphant film adaptation—has shifted his career onto the fast track.
Born in Miami Beach, Fla., Epstein went to New York University, where he started as a theatre major, then switched to a political science curriculum, earning a degree in that field. "Actually, what happened is I went in as an actor and came out a producer," he remarks. "As a kid, I acted in school and at camp. I always loved performing and the arts. But I also loved the idea of doing things in politics and business as an entrepreneur and fund-raiser. The synthesis of these things led me to realize I wanted to remain creative but to do it in a more managerial capacity. So I found that producing would fit me perfectly." He now splits his time between his residences in Los Angeles and New York.
After graduating from NYU, Epstein worked in an unpaid casting internship at Johnson-Liff Casting for about three years. Then he took a job assisting veteran producer Martin Richards (Sweeney Todd, La Cage aux Folles, Rent, Grand Hotel). This led to Epstein's gig as production assistant on Cy Coleman's last musical, The Life, in 1997. "I got to raise some money and basically learn the ropes on that," Epstein says. "I did that for a year and two months, and then I forged out on my own. I co-produced several straight play revivals that I thought would gain me some credibility."
Epstein notes that from the beginning his goal was to get into big musicals. His alliance with Lion opened that door, during their collaborations on Hairspray and The Wedding Singer. "Hairspray was very transformative for me," Epstein says. "When it opened, I was just shy of 28. It allowed me to develop what I hope will be another series of first-rate shows—Cry-Baby being one, followed by Ever After. Plus I'm doing the first [Broadway] revival of Godspell next summer." Ever After is adapted from director Andy Tennant's Cinderella-inspired 1998 film, which starred Drew Barrymore.
It was Epstein's inspiration to adapt Cry-Baby—a quirky bad-boy-meets-good-girl tale of teen rebellion, set in 1954 at the birth of rock 'n' roll—for the musical stage. Says Epstein, "Hairspray was such a magical experience, and I always felt there was another jewel in John Waters' canon—or crown, I should say. This was a chance to take another look at Americana. I love the Waters style—subversive and yet affectionate. I also like the periods of the 1950s and '60s." Epstein approached Waters with the idea, and when the decision was made to proceed, Epstein was joined by producing partners Allan Gordon and Elan McAllister (associates on Rent, Spamalot, and Hairspray). "We developed the show with John's complete blessing," Epstein says. "I call him the creative conscience of the piece. He gives notes on drafts and comes to see the various readings and workshops and gives his point of view. He's an amazing collaborator and a generous spirit."
How close in sensibility and tone will Cry-Baby be to Hairspray? "It's definitely Watersesque, if you will," says Epstein, "but a little edgier, maybe more subversive. I call it rudely affectionate. But it's not offensive. John always redeems everybody, even his bad folks, in the end. Cry-Baby retains the fairy-tale spirit. It's true to the film; it builds upon what worked there and then finds a theatrical language for it."
Epstein is very much a hands-on producer, closely involved with the creative process. He's careful to select directors and creative personnel who share his artistic sensibilities and whom he trusts. The collaborations thus run smoothly. He sits in during the entire process, watching rehearsals and giving notes. He's intimately involved in the casting. He explains, "The casting directors sort through the open calls, but for any agency submissions for principals or secondary positions, I observe and have to approve. I find the casting very important; the chemistry of actors in the show is crucial."
Casting the lead role of leather-clad, supercool biker Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker (played by Johnny Depp in the 1990 film) was extremely challenging, according to Epstein. "We were blessed to find James Snyder. We needed a leading male who can sing, dance, and act. And he also has to be sexy and witty and vibrant. We weren't looking for a stock leading man but for a multifaceted character, and the actor also had to have musical theatre chops. It took us several readings and workshops to figure out who we wanted." Snyder will make his Broadway debut with the show.
Though several pre-Broadway productions such as Jersey Boys, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The Who's Tommy have bowed at La Jolla, Epstein notes that Cry-Baby will be the first direct transfer. Other shows had long development periods—as much as a year—between their La Jolla gigs and the Broadway premieres. The local engagement of Cry-Baby closes Dec. 16. Previews are scheduled to begin in February on Broadway, followed by a March debut. Epstein says this allows a brief bit of tweaking time prior to the Gotham press opening.
Besides his intention to work in film and TV, Epstein says the idea of directing is appealing to him. As time permits, he teaches a course, The Independent Producer and the Broadway Musical, at NYU on Monday nights. Of the class he says, "We look at the development of the musical from the beginning and what goes into the producer's role, from acquiring rights, negotiating agreements, putting together a budget and a royalty pool, hopefully putting together a team that's going to reflect the vision that you want. I also have them read a lot of reviews and articles on the commercial Broadway theatre—on musicals within the last four to five years—to get a sense of what the trends are and which shows have been successful and which haven't and why."
With the grumblings one often hears that the musical is dying, does Epstein believe he has entered a field on its way to extinction? "I think this is an amazing period in Broadway history," he responds. "From Wicked to Spamalot to Hairspray to Jersey Boys to Avenue Q to Lion King—and I'm sure I'm forgetting some—there's a lot of hits at once. Think about the landscape in the 1980s, where the anchors were sort of just Les Miz, Phantom, and Cats, and everything else—aside from a few like Dreamgirls and La Cage—sort of came and went. Plus there is great diversity and idiosyncrasy. It's not all homogenized fare, like you often hear. For all we know, we might be living in a kind of golden age."
Cry-Baby runs Nov. 18–Dec. 16 at the Mandell Weiss Theatre at La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, Calif. (858) 550-1010. www.lajollaplayhouse.org.