Cry-Baby has a score by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan.

The original creative team is revising the musical, which is based on the John Waters film of the same name, for New Line, to make it "a smaller, more intimate musical," according to a press statement.

In Cry-Baby, Broadway press notes state, "Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism, and Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker is the coolest boy in town. He's a bad boy with a good cause — truth, justice, and the pursuit of rock 'n roll — and when he falls for a good girl who wants to be bad, her charm school world of bobby sox and barbershop quartets will never be the same. Wayward youth, juvenile delinquents, sexual repression, cool music, dirty lyrics, bizarre rejects...Finally, the 50's come to life! For real this time!"

Cry-Baby earned three additional 2008 Tony nominations: Best Book of a Musical for Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell, Best Original Score for David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger, and Best Choreography for Rob Ashford.

Ultimately, the second Broadway musical based on a John Waters film (the Tony-winning Hairspray was the first) went home empty-handed on Tony night. Producers of the musical announced June 18, 2008, that the production would shutter less than a week later on June 22, 2008. Cry-Baby played a total of 45 previews and 68 regular performances on Broadway. Directed by Mark Brokaw, Cry-Baby arrived on Broadway following an out-of-town engagement at the La Jolla Playhouse.