Monster slayer? An 'Affair' to remember at Tony time

April 15, 2008 On Thursday, "A Catered Affair" officially debuts and begins roosting at the Walter Kerr Theatre, surrounded by the positive buzz from those who have caught the new musical in prevues the past three weeks, not to mention the raves that traveled from San Diego, where the show world-premiered at the Old Globe in September. But now we have at least seven eligible contenders in that best new musical category: "Catered Affair," "Passing Strange," "In the Heights," "Xanadu," "The Little Mermaid," "Young Frankenstein" and "Cry-Baby," which opens April 24. ... Just to stay clear about these things, Paddy Chayefsky called his original 1955 TV version with Thelma Ritter "The Catered Affair"; MGM also kept it that way with its 1957 movie adaptation starring Bette Davis.

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