Producer Franco says. “I think Zappa feared that America would turn into a fascistic theocracy, and we’re awfully close,” he says. While a couple of actors begged off early, saying that some of the content went “against their religious beliefs”, casting wasn’t the biggest hurdle. “There was no score,” Towne says. “We had to hire someone to listen to the album and transcribe the whole thing so the actors could rehearse.”

Now they are fine-tuning the seven-piece band and are considering adding a horn section. Franco has secured Carvin amps, the brand Zappa used, and he was still trying to find a Stratocaster with a whammy bar. And still, there is Gail, and her ultimate approval.
Towne says, “It’s complicated music. It has to be absolutely right. We’ll get a lot of feedback. We’ll have the Frankophiles.”