I owe a lot to Jerry Robbins. For one thing, as far as I'm concerned, he invented reading a musical before rehearsals.

Of his mentor, author and stager George Abbott) He was the master of American farce comedy, but there is never a dishonest moment on the stage. He never slammed a door for the sake of slamming a door; he slammed it for a reason, There's so much phony energy in the theatre. People think that by running around in circles like a crazed tiger you're displaying energy. And in fact you're not. You can have energy in the stillest place in the world, and he knew that.