The movie star system has been part and parcel to the entire industry since its inception. And it’s vital. Because a movie basically has one weekend to succeed. If it doesn’t the movie will likely not make money

Studios build up actors’ careers as recognizable brands that carry over from movie to movie. It’s always an enormous risk to hire a no-name actor for a big movie requiring a big payoff.

This poses problems for musicals. The perfect actor to sell the movie may not be a Broadway level singer. Sometimes you can fudge, and it works, as was demonstrated by Johnny Depp’s wonderful performance in “Sweeney Todd.” But Johnny Depp is sort of an exception to the rule. It doesn’t matter what the role, if you can get Depp you go with him.

But other actors have been less successful. “Chicago” and “Moulin Rouge” come to mind. Those starts were okay but they didn’t blow me away like many stage performers might have been able to do.

I’m reminded of Julie Andrews not getting cast for “My Fair Lady” because she wasn’t a big name. She then got cast for “Mary Poppins” and won an Oscar. My fear is that there may be some potential stars like Julie Andrews that will never get their chance in the current movie climate.

Broadway tickets sales suffers from this trend. Because the more successful musicals and Broadway performers are on screen, the more they’ll be able to draw people to the theater.

I was reading about the Broadway musical version of “Cry Baby” and something caught my ey. The score is co-written by Adam Schlesinger. For those of you who don’t know who this guy is, he’s a writer from one of my favorite bands, Fountains of Wayne. They are best known for their hit song, “Stacy’s Mom,” which was fun but overplayed on the radio and VH1. They have many other better songs on several other great albums worth checking out.

Anyway, my point is that after noticing his involvement, I really want to see “Cry Baby.” A Broadway musical is only going to be as good as the music. Given Schlesinger’s involvement, I can’t help but think it should be great.

The story takes place in Baltimore in 1954. An innocent young girl starts a romance with a guitar-playing rebel from across the tracks. The original movie starred Johnny Depp and was directed by the ever eccentric, John Waters.

After the reasonable success of the film version of the musical “Hairspray,” maybe John Waters’s movies have found their true place as musical theater, first on stage, then regurgitated back onto film. I hope that they make a movie musical of “Cry Baby.” But until then, we can get our Broadway tickets online for the stage show.