INTERVIEW: Wayne Henry on JAWS: THE (VERY UNAUTHORIZED) MUSICAL

A Manhattanite falls head over heels for a shark, people get devoured and a marine biologist bursts into song. If that sounds like a great night out, have I got something for you.

JAWS: the (very unauthorized) Musical is the very ill-behaved brainchild of writer/composer/lyricist/genius/madman Wayne Henry, who also happens to be the star. The show began as a thirty minute romp at Rose’s Turn, grew into a fringe sensation, had some sell-out runs in Jersey and the Chain Theatre in NYC, and now it's hitting the iconic Laurie Beechman Theater on Sunday, October 18 at 2 pm!

I sat down with Wayne Henry to talk sharks, what it takes to turn a thriller in to a love story, and how long he thinks he has until the cease and desist comes.

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So thrilled to share some time with you. Would you like to talk about “JAWS: the (Very Unauthorized) Musical!”?

K.

How would you describe the show?

Succinctly.

And if you were to elaborate?

At that point, I’d say it’s taking one of the greatest dramatic suspense movies of all time and turning it into a musical love story about a tourist and a shark.

You first had this idea back in 2002 when it debuted as a sketch at Rose’s Turn.

Where were you when you first thought, "This movie needs a musical”?

At that time so many musicals based on successful movies were being churned out, the question was “which one doesn’t”. Initially, I wrote the show from the point of view of someone who’s seen a Broadway show once and watched most of the movie but wanted to make a quick buck. And half the cast that night were understudies.

Fascinating. Sort of a “The Play That Goes Wrong” element?

Sort of, yeah. Then I felt I should give a little more to fans of the movie who might see our show.

You’ve said you became a fan of the movie by working on the musical. What did you find in Spielberg's film that you missed the first time around?

Making sure Chief Brody got slapped in the face.

Tell us about the songs: "Fishing the Great White Way," "At Night He Swims Home to Me," "When a Shark Attacked My Heart." Which one came first, and which one makes you laugh hardest every time?

"Fishing" and "Shark Attacked" were part of the original five songs. But you have to hear Laura Daniel, who’s co-producing The Beechman show with me, sing “At Night He Swims Home to Me” which we also call “The Power Ballad”. It’s a very goofy, campy comedy with some lovable characters but there’s also some real powerhouse singing.

Having seen an earlier run of the show I can attest to that. One thing I loved was your use of language. Another reviewer called the show a pun-fest. Is there a pun count?

We have a few good puns, but more importantly, we have lots of very bad ones. They start with our preshow music, so time your arrival accordingly.

Thanks for the tip. How much of the film survives intact, and where did you let yourself go completely off the rails?

You will get a shark attack at the beginning of the show and from there it jumps straight to technicolor.

Ah, thus the very unauthorized bit.

Exactly. And there’s also some gender switching in this Oz meets Gilligan’s Island version, where the mayor is now a sultry woman (played by burlesque performer Evie Apple). We have some nods to Ursula and the Wicked Witch, but I like to think of her as if Annie Oakley shopped at Talbots. Quint is also played by a woman, Suzanne Stein, a standup comic and my partner in character comedy as Henry & Stein.

Suzanne Stein as Quint has become a talking point. When did you know she was your Quint, and what does she do with the "You're gonna need a bigger boat" energy?

I’m not sure about boat, but on Sunday she finally gets a bigger song. Suzanne founded the sketch group Chicken Skratch where it all began and has been the only person to ever play Quint. When I first wrote it, Elaine Stritch, Bea Arthur, and Kathleen Freeman were all recently on Broadway. Plus, we could get away with Quint being as chauvinistic as we wanted. Over the years, the character has evolved into its own thing.

You wrote the show and also play Hooper. Is that a gift to yourself or a cry for help? Was it the plan from day one?

It’s mainly been a decision based on budget and scheduling among the most pretentious know-it-alls available at the time, but it is really fun to be on stage with this cast. A few of us have jumped around to different roles. Cat London has covered a lot of parts as we take the show around. Robert Stevens Jr. is our shark, but he played Hooper this summer when we did a Shark Week concert version in Matawan, NJ. He’s great in both, but you really get to hear him sing in this.

In your musical you gave the shark more songs than Hooper?

Wouldn’t you?

Obviously.

Although, Hooper now has Hamilton-style rap called “The Autopsy of July 2nd”.  That will be new on Sunday. David Citron, our genius music director and I have added a couple of new songs and some new verses to the existing ones.

That’s awesome. And it’s all original music, correct?

Yup.

”Unauthorized" is right there in the title. Have you ever worried about a call from Universal?

I’ve prayed for a call from Universal, but I think we’re saying the same thing.

Who is the ideal audience member? The film buff, the camp lover, or someone who's never seen Jaws?

Yes. The language is pretty clean, it’s mostly the innuendos and flying limbs. We’ve had all ages at our shows in the past. But honestly, I find anyone over 172 years old just doesn’t get the references.

What’s the most unexpected audience reaction you've had, a scream, a gasp, a heckle?

I love it when people come dressed in “Jaws” t-shirts or a shark hat or something. It gets me in the spirit of the show.

Complete the sentence: "If you only see one musical about a shark this year..."

See “Jaws: the (Very Unauthorized) Musical!” this Sunday at 2pm. That way, you’ll have the rest of the year to yourself!

What’s your own favorite line from the movie, and did it make it into the show?

I get hung up on the autopsy scene in the movie, where Hooper asks a room of city officers for a glass of water as though he’s talking to a crowd of waiters. It’s quick, but it finally made it in.

What would you like the future of the show to be?

A solid run where we can really bring the show to fruition. Someday I want the shark to fly! I’d also love for high schools, colleges, and regional theaters to find it. Actors have to deal with a lot so I aimed to write a show that is fun for an actor to do. And I think the audience feels that.

Besides talking about the great food at The Laurie Beechman Theater, what do you hope people say walking out of the theater?

The cast is so solid, and as passionate about comedy as I am, we just want people to laugh and have a good time. I hope people say their jaws hurt from laughing.

“Jaws”, is that an intentional pun?

It will be by the time this goes to print. What more can I say?!

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If you’re looking for an afternoon of camp and clever, laugh-out-loud fun, grab your fins and water wings and get your tickets before they’re gone.

Click here for tickets.