What was the most difficult challenge in adapting Lloyd Kaufman’s 1985 film into a musical?
John: I never saw the movie. I only watched it once 7 months after I started working on the musical. Joe had done a brilliant adaptation in that he took the movie’s few principle characters and then essentially wrote a completely new version. In fact the only thing left from the movie is the Drano instead of sugar joke. The movie’s creator, Lloyd Kaufmann, is the musical’s biggest fan. He was very supportive of our work from the beginning and also left us alone to do what we do best. Joel: How did New Jersey audiences react to the show during its run at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick in October 2008? John: No offense was taken. In fact they didn’t have enough seats in New Jersey for all the folks that wanted to see it. From the very first performance, which was populated at George Street Theatre in New Brunswick, by mostly senior citizens, the audiences were cheering and laughing. Joel: What changes were made between the George Street production and the New World Stages p
