Q&A with Brian Gari, author of We Bombed In New London The Inside Story of the Broadway Musical Late Nite Comic
1. Where did you come up with that title?
I recalled a play entitled We Bombed In New Haven and since my show started out in New London Connecticut and did not get the best reviews, I thought my title might be a funny parody.
2. Was the show based on a true story?
Not entirely. I had a long relationship with a ballet dancer and wrote a lot of songs about her. I had also spent years in the comedy clubs performing my songs. These subjects were combined by the book writer Allan Knee to create the format of the show.
3. What made you write this book in the first place?
There was a lot of misinformation floating around after the show closed and I felt the need to set things straight. A singer I had worked with by the name of Robin Kaiser said she thought i had some great stories to tell and encouraged me to write them down before I forgot them all.
4. Did the book come out right away?
No. It took years which I was actually glad about since the printing process improved a lot. It wasn’t until I met a wonderful man by the name of Derek Tague at the Friends of Old Time Radio Convention who mentioned I should approach Ben Ohmart of BearManor Media about possibly publishing it. Sadly, Derek recently passed away but I will always be grateful to him.
5. How did you remember all the details you wrote about?
I saved everything about the show. I had tapes both audio and video as well as calendars which made my references very accurate.
6. Did you do book signings?
Yes…as many as I could. The response was fantastic. I know many people who still keep a copy on their bookshelves!
7. Has the book helped to perpetuate the life of the show?
I believe so. I had a wonderful new production of the show In Maryland in 2010 as well as an all star 20th anniversary album release in 2007.
8. There’s an audio version of the book that you did yourself for BearManor. Was that easy to do?
Not at all. I did it all by myself on my computer. It’s a very difficult process because every mistake shows up and has to be carefully repaired and re-edited.
9. Did you ever think you could be an author?
Well i did many liner notes for albums throughout the decades. I also had a mother who encouraged my writing and helped me correct any grammatical errors.
10. Did writing this first book give you the courage to write more books?
It did and two more followed that were also published by Ben Ohmart and BearManor Media.