by Kerry Lengel
The Arizona Republic
A double dose of nostalgia is on tap for theatergoers in the latest big-budget musical to visit ASU Gammage. Happy Days - A New Musical taps into the warm fuzzies that Baby Boomers feel for the classic sitcom from the ’70s, along with the enduring appeal of sock hops, drive-ins and greaser hairdos from the ’50s.
“It’s something the audience knows,” says Garry Marshall, creator of the TV show and a producer for the stage show. “They like the characters and what they represent of an innocent era, when the problems weren’t as big as what seems to be going on in the country today.”
In addition to introducing America to the Fonz, Richie Cunningham and the rest of the Milwaukee gang in Happy Days, Marshall scored TV hits with Laverne & Shirley, starring his sister, Penny, and Mork & Mindy, which launched Robin Williams’ career. His long showbiz career includes directing such films as Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries. He’s also directed operas.
Happy Days - A New Musical brings back a minor but popular character from the sitcom, Pinky Tuscadero, the one girl cool enough to be Fonzie’s true love. The plot involves a dance contest to save Arnold’s Drive-In from demolition.
Marshall’s love of musicals goes back to his childhood, when his mother was a dance teacher.
“But I couldn’t dance and I couldn’t sing,” he says with a laugh. “She told me so, and everyone agreed with her. . . .
“Music is so important to me,” he adds. “So I direct operas now. A person who can’t sing and dance can still put on a show with people singing and dancing.”