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MARTIN P. ROBINSON (puppeteer) Howard informed me later that when he introduced the challenges of the script — the necessity for a plant that may begin small and get larger in increments, in addition to speak, sing and take over the stage, then the world — most individuals he talked to mentioned, “Effectively, you’re going to have to surrender this.” I used to be the one man who mentioned, “Yeah, certain, you are able to do all that.”
Rehearsals started in earnest, with Menken and Ashman persevering with to prune their challenge because the actors settled into their roles.
ELLEN GREENE (Audrey) Howard lived on Greenwich Avenue proper across the nook from the Pink Tea Cup, and Alan could be sitting on the piano, and Howard would tempo up and down shouting. He was a really sturdy director — very brilliant, with a dry humorousness and super coronary heart. Alan needed to please Howard, and it was like a dance between the 2 of them. It was superb to look at.
LUZ Ashman had that type of mind that goes at 100 miles quicker than everyone else. He would bear in mind lyrics, and he knew each little bit of music from the ’60s and ’70s.
MENKEN Howard may very well be impatient about music as a result of it was the one factor he couldn’t straight do himself! [Laughs]
For the rating, Menken opted for a mix of pop, rock and Latin music.
MENKEN It’s the darkish aspect of “Grease,” however there are additionally components winking on the late ’50s and early ’60s — seashore blanket horror films with individuals dancing on the seashore whereas some monster got here in from the water to terrorize individuals — in addition to Phil Spector rock, which is apocalyptic in tone. After which our narrators had been a lady group derived from the Ronettes and the Shirelles. It was an actual cocktail of actually darkish themes and enjoyable spoof components.
Due to his father, Menken had an concept for the stage musical that may change into iconic.
MENKEN My dad, who was a dentist, was truly president of the New York chapter of the American Analgesia Society, which is a society of dentists who promote the usage of nitrous oxide as secure. So I had the concept that Orin was obsessive about nitrous oxide and put the masks on himself to benefit from the sadomasochistic pleasure of drilling tooth after which get the masks caught. Howard thought it was hilarious. My dad truly offered the slides for the “Look, Seymour, this might occur to you” half!
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