Q&A with Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx
By: Robert Diamond Nov. 26, 2004
There's been a lot of excitement -- plenty of interviews and events and speaking engagements, some in far-off places like South Korea and Oregon. It's really been quite a whirlwind.
Did you guys have a backup plan for Avenue Q's "infamous line" if the recent election went the other way?
What a depressing topic. Of course we were praying we'd have to change "George Bush is only for now" this year. But sadly we never got past the planning phases.
Will there be any changes to the production for Las Vegas?
Not as far as the songs go. Production-wise, there will likely be tweaks here and there, and maybe a few new special effects. The animation screens will certainly have to get bigger -- it's a bigger theater. Jason Moore, our director, will no doubt pull some new tricks out of his sleeve.
So what are you two doing at Birdland on the 29th?
You know, singing some songs, chatting a bit, telling some stories. We'll do some songs from Avenue Q and talk about how they were written, and play some old versions of them. We'll also do a few cut songs from the show. We'll do songs from our first project, "Kermit Prince Of Denmark." We've also been learning to juggle, we might try and do that.
What's the appeal about doing your own night of music?
We have a lot of fun on stage -- we sort of become our own little improv act. We leave a lot up to chance -- we don't do a lot of planning before a show -- and so there's always this dangerous excitement we bring to the stage. (Now watch us totally mess up.)
The press release mentions "surprise special guests" – any hints?
No -- you'll have to come to find out!
Who will be performing….you or them? Or both?
Both, of course. When you invite a special guest, you kinda have to let them perform.
Can audiences look forward to just your material or any favorite works by others?
We've never done that before -- perform other people's stuff in public -- but this time we're giving it a go. Not because we think we're such hot shit as singers, but because we'd never have become songwriters in the first place if we didn't totally get off on playing and singing the songs we love.
How has your life changed in the past year?
As writers, it's been a little strange -- all of a sudden, we have so much work, and less time than ever to write. When we started out, we were just kids with no lives. We had nothing to do except write all day long -- and we did! So it's tougher to find the time to sit down and work. Not that we haven't been working.
What's next for you two after Birdland?
We're going to keep slaving away at our new movie musical, a star-driven musical comedy we're writing for Universal Pictures. Right now we're working on the screenplay for that, which is a totally different experience from writing songs.
Who's your favorite puppet of all time?
The president. Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx and very special guest stars appear in concert at Birdland on Monday, November 29 at 7pm. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street For reservations: 212.581.3080. $10 + $10 food & drink minimum/person
Bottom photo curteousy of Ben Strothmann, for more information - click here.
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