How Off-Broadway's “Ginger Twinsies”, the Hilarious “Parent Trap” Parody, Gives the Film’s Villain a New Ending (Exclusive)

“Meredith Blake’s chapeau needs to beryllium nan size of nan stage!"

That was 1 of nan first ideas Kevin Zak had erstwhile he began dreaming up Ginger Twinsies, his deed Off-Broadway parody of nan beloved 1998 Lindsay Lohan classic, The Parent Trap.

The play, which began arsenic a use reference during nan writers’ and actors’ strikes, has since snowballed into a full-scale accumulation astatine nan Orpheum Theatre — complete pinch that oversized chapeau gag, a five-minute “secret handshake” accumulation number and a astonishment cameo by Jamie Lee Curtis (well, benignant of).

"My favourite compliment is erstwhile someone's like, 'That was nan stupidest point I've ever seen,' " Zak, 37, tells PEOPLE astir nan show, which wraps its constricted tally connected Oct. 25. "I'm like, 'Okay, check.' "

Below, Zak — who has besides worked connected Silence! The Musical and nan Death Becomes Her Broadway shape adjustment — opens up astir really Ginger Twinsies came to be, making judge superfans of The Parent Trap felt seen and why Meredith Blake yet gets her due.

PEOPLE: Where did nan thought for Ginger Twinsies begin?
KEVIN ZAK: It each started astir 2 years ago, during nan writers’ and actors’ strikes. A friend asked if I wanted to big a bid of screenplay readings to raise costs for nan cause, and I instantly picked The Parent Trap because I person a heavy emotion of those movies (the Hayley Mills type and nan Lindsay Lohan one) and its lore. I knew nan movie was beloved, but I formed it wholly against type (with Jeffrey Self and Ira Madison playing nan twins) and it sold retired instantly. People came successful costumes! We publication nan book connection for word, pinch projections from nan movie, and group were reference along. That's erstwhile I realized nan movie is besides successful everyone's DNA. And I thought, 'if I don’t do thing pinch this, personification other will.' "

That consciousness of joke of yours, wherever does that travel from?
I'm nan youngest of three. We're each gay, truthful I don't cognize if there's other civilization title wrong that? But I grew up seeing movies measurement earlier I should have, for illustration those iconic Jerry Zuker slapstick films for illustration The Naked Gun and Airplane!, or Leslie Neilson successful Wrongfully Accused and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. It's conscionable my favourite benignant of humor.

MADtv was besides a immense point for me, and I believe nan women of that era: Mo Collins, Debra Wilson, Stephanie Weir, Nicole Sullivan and Alex Borstein — who each merit their ain type of Bridesmaids. Oh, and Lori Beth Denberg, from All That, was my idol, Vital Information.

Were location parts of nan movie that you knew going successful had to beryllium included?
The first gag I wrote down was "Meredith Blake’s chapeau needs to beryllium nan size of nan stage." That was a fixed because my full accuracy is “this show is simply a chapeau connected a chapeau connected a hat,” truthful we virtually had to do that. But then, everything else, I did conscionable to make myself laugh. I was reasoning of GIFs aliases memes astir nan movie I've seen complete nan years; these scenes that are conscionable halfway memories of watching nan movie. So there’s besides nan lizard, nan apical chapeau pinch nan veil moment, nan concealed handshake — which, successful our version, becomes a five-minute accumulation number. Essentially, each these things I knew nan superfans would love.

You mention nan handshake becoming a five-minute number. Was that ever nan plan?
It grew. We did mini versions successful early readings, past erstwhile we were astatine nan Orpheum I roped successful my husband, [Tony Award-nominated choreographer] Jesse Robb, to bring it to live. I wanted to spoof Wicked and Chicago, while besides giving a motion to Stomp because we're legitimately successful nan theatre wherever Stomp ran for 30 years. And of course, make an ode to really cheery nan show is.

Meaning, nan Barbara-Judy “Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again” moment?
Exactly, but our type of that. truthful Noel Carey, who composed Death Becomes Her, wove nan movie's handshake melody — Young-Holt's “Soulful Strut” — done nan different sections truthful it feels for illustration a Stephen Schwartz type of that tune, past a Kander and Ebb version. It’s surface-level goofy but there’s existent trade down making it arsenic gloriously stupid arsenic possible. Once we deed that number, each bets are disconnected for nan remainder of nan show. They're like, "We tin expect genuinely anything."

And what's moreover much hilarious is, this isn't a musical!
And it's connected page six of nan script: a afloat accumulation number successful a play, not a musical. And that's what I emotion astir our actors. This is simply a group of 8 hilarious characteristic actors, nary of which are trained dancers, and we asked them to study to creation for illustration they're Liza Minnelli. And they really were game.

Same could beryllium said for your full formed — including Russell Daniels and Aneesa Folds, who play Annie and Hallie.
Aneesa and Russell arsenic nan twins are absolute magic. Aneesa was ever successful my mind for nan role; Russell came later — I had look him successful Titanique arsenic Ruth, and that to maine was a momentous performance. The first time they met, it was for illustration they had known each different for decades. And nan truth they look thing alike becomes nan smallest gag successful nan show. You conscionable bargain it because everyone other does.

But yes, arsenic you said, nan full institution — Matt Wilkas, Lakisha May, Mitch Wood and Philip Taratula (who should triumph and Oscar for playing Meredith Blake) — person committed to uncovering nan funniest, slightest precious choices. We rehearsed for illustration maniacs and everyone was rooting for nan gag, not themselves. Even nan understudies (Omolade Wey, Casey Whyland, and Mike Liebenson) are getting moments to spell on, and I’m thrilled for them.

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The group is filled pinch Easter eggs everyplace you look. How did nan group and those specifications travel together?
Beowulf Borat did nan group and he really helped unlock a batch of nan show for maine erstwhile he first showed maine his design. So nan assemblage walks into a summertime campy theater, and we person this illusion of a bunch of campy counselors putting connected nan champion damn accumulation of The Parent Trap that they can, utilizing only things they recovered astir nan grounds. And past we were like, "Well, it should bleed retired into nan location wherever half of nan assemblage is successful London, wherever 1 copy lives, and nan different half successful California, wherever nan different twins lives." And erstwhile we did that it was easy to beryllium like, "Well, we've sewage to person nan Princess Diana Beanie Baby. And we request our type nan Leonardo DiCaprio photograph from nan movie..."

Genius.
He and his squad person travel backmost since opening and they support adding more. I saw a Spice Girls doll connected nan London broadside nan different nighttime that I hadn’t noticed before.

Speaking of noticing caller things, rewatching nan movie each these years later, fans person discovered that Meredith Blake wasn't precisely nan villain she was made retired to be. Ginger Twinsies really runs pinch that theory. Was that ever nan plan?
From nan beginning. I was like, "We request to springiness Meredith Blake nan afloat Wicked treatment." I mean, this is simply a 26-year-old azygous female successful business who was looking for immoderate security, making love this azygous dad. She presents her champion aforesaid to who she thinks is Hallie and says, "How was camp? Was it fabulous?" And immediately, nan kid conscionable turns connected her. And yeah, she does immoderate wicked worldly down nan line, but who among us? So I wanted it to consciousness much ambiguous, and to halfway present successful a measurement nan movie ne'er did.

Did that inspired Elaine Hendrix, who famously starred arsenic Meredith Blake, to motion connected arsenic a producer?
I'm not judge it hurt! She loved it. In nan reference she came to, she stood up clapping aft Meredith Blake's monologue, wherever she asks nan assemblage to find for themselves who nan existent villain is.

I'm truthful grateful to Elaine. She has been specified a cheerleader and champion for our show. It's truthful crazy, nan kismet of our tally lining up pinch her being successful Freakier Friday and reconnecting pinch Lindsay Lohan. Because they worked together erstwhile Lindsay was a literal child! So now they've reconnected arsenic adults. And hopefully, Lindsay will travel spot nan show erstwhile she has a break successful her schedule.

What astir nan inclusion of Jamie Lee Curtis successful Ginger Twinsies. How did she go portion of nan show?
She’s marque caller for nan afloat production. Between nan 2nd shop and nan afloat production, I realized we needed a type of nan infinitesimal wherever nan twins determine to move places that felt uniquely ours. Jamie Lee is benignant of nan guardian angel of nan Lohan Cinematic Universe. So I said, "What if successful our version, Jamie Lee is successful nan audience, can't return what she's seeing happening and gets up connected shape to telephone retired nan trauma?" Because that's really Jamie Lee is successful existent life; she's ne'er been 1 to wound her tongue. It felt weirdly right, tonally. And nan truth that this each coincided pinch her precocious reuniting pinch Lindsay connected Freakier Friday was cleanable time.

Did thing not make it into nan show?
A lot, actually. The movie's complete 2 hours long, and we are genuinely 80 minutes. So, for example, we started pinch nan water liner but that sewage trim for nan Off-Broadway production. And I thought I would really miss this stuff, but there's thing that I deliberation is really missing from nan film. 

Nor do fans look to be. They person been embracing nan show successful specified a awesome way. That must beryllium satisfying, right?
It's funny, during rehearsals and during tech and previews, we were truthful busy, we didn't person clip to 2nd conjecture ourselves. You couldn't think, "Will they for illustration this?" because location was nary time. And now, since we've opened, I'm for illustration an exposed nerve. "There's thing successful New York group tin spell and spot that I wrote and directed! And if they dislike it, it's virtually each my fault!."

Luckily, arsenic you said, nan connection of rima has been fantabulous and everyone seems to beryllium emotion satiated by it. They travel expecting The Parent Trap and past get each these other movies and references. It really scratches that itch. So it intends a lot, and I conscionable consciousness really grateful.

Tickets to Ginger Twinsies are now connected sale.