People do think that if they avoid the truth, it might change to something better before they have to hear it.

When ''night, Mother' opened, I did not know how long it would be before I would have another show on Broadway.

What's so good about a heaven where, one of these days, you're going to get your embarrassing old body back?

People listen to music with cavemen ears: Is it a bird song or the call of a lion? The audience at a musical is dancing in their hearts.

People do think that if they avoid the truth, it might change to something better before they have to hear it.

My view is that musicals are love stories with great final scenes. It's just that simple. Musicals are also conflicts between two worlds. And by those criteria, 'The Color Purple' is actually exactly the kind of story that makes for a great musical. Yes, it's got hard stuff in it, but so does 'Les Miserables' and 'Phantom of the Opera.'

I feel that I speak the musical language.