
Nancy
Parsons
Diana
Canova
Bruce
Kimmel has this to say about the show
The Manaechmus
Twins by Plautus - I was asked to come in and write a couple of numbers by the
fellow who was directing the show at the Morgan Theater in Santa Monica. I said
"okay" and ended up writing about three. He then asked me to stage them which I
also agreed to. After watching a week of him trying to "rehearse" and getting
nowhere, I told the producer of the show that there was no shot that the show
could possibly open because this fellow hadn't blocked one scene and had no clue
as to how to do so - the only thing that was blocked was the opening number,
which I'd done. So, they asked if I'd take over and if I thought I could get
the show up in time - I said yes, they fired the director and I took over the
show. I wrote several more songs, brought in Diana Canova and my pal Becky
Logan, and also Nancy Parsons, who would later go on to some movie fame as the
star of Motel Hell. I whipped it together and it actually had some fairly funny
moments. As you probably know, The Manaechmus Twins is what Shakespeare based
The Comedy of Errors on - so I wrote musical versions of both. I remember the
opening number had some okay lyrics:
A play of Plautus
A Plautus play
And if you doubt us
Sit down and stay
And you'll see Plautus when the play begins
Which Plautus play? It's The Manaechmus Twins.
The Manaechmus twins? I know, I know...
Doesn't sound so witty, doesn't sound vital -
But believe me Plautus wrote good plays - he just couldn't write a title.
Now in this Plautus
There are thick plots
It's all about a certain
Pair of tots.
Twins at birth you couldn't tell apart
And this is where the complications start
Some of the other numbers were Moving On, Changes, He Gives Me Dresses, and
others, but the most interesting thing in the score, of course, was Honey,
Whatcha Doin' Tonight? which closed the first act, and which I ended up usurping
for Nudie Musical.