By Bruce Shenitz

The story sounds almost too good to be true. “One of my early memories was of a local video store, where there was a Cry-Baby poster, and I was, like, ‘Johnny Depp cries!’” says James Snyder in his dressing room at the Marquis Theater. “It was around fifth grade, and I had cried on the bus for something... I remember thinking, All these women think it’s sexy that he cries, so I guess I’m allowed to do that.”

A self-described band nerd and mama’s boy, the 27-year-old Broadway newcomer must have been fated to play the title role in this stage adaptation of the 1990 John Waters cult classic, in which sensitive bad-boy rebel Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker won -- and rewon -- the heart of super-square beauty Allison Vernon-Williams.

Since receiving his bachelor of fine arts in acting from the University of Southern California, Snyder has racked up credits in movies (She’s the Man), TV (Cold Case), and stage (Star Wars Trilogy in 30 Minutes). He’s also recorded the cast album for the show Bare (in which he plays a gay Catholic boarding-school boy who can’t face his love for a fellow student) and has just released an indie album, L.A. Curse.

The only dance class he took in college was with “35 cheerleaders who’d been dancing since they were 5” -- but he jokes that he’s now inspired to keep up his weight training because “there are some dancers in the show with unbelievable bodies.” (Stage-door Johnnies, take note: His heart belongs to his Los Angeles–based girlfriend, clothing designer Jacqueline Dadon.) Those USC cheerleaders should be impressed by his loose-limbed, ’50s-style swiveling. “Hip-shakin’,” he says. “It’s about hip-shakin’.” We’ll second that motion.