so therefore howard ashman, who is brilliant-- and i knew we had to do it-- we had to have a happy endingen: let's look at the original ending. we'll show it right here. (screaming) (laughing) ♪ >> stephen: that was a little table top -- >> it was a little taste of --. >> stephen: that was table top -- >> that's all real. about a million dollars. that was about a year's work. >> stephen: that's the end of the world! >> yes, yes. >> stephen: and in the first version you had a happy ending. do you prefer that or this? >> howard and i both preferred that. >> stephen: why didn't you just stick to your guns? >> because i know when i'm in an audience and i can feel them totally against me --. >> stephen: right now, like right now. >> like now. (laughter) it's a very well-known feeling i have. then i don't need cards. and we did a second preview in los angeles and i ask david geffen if we could do it again, same thing happened. >> stephen: so why change it? i paid good money to see the happy ending in 1986. why change this? you had a perfectly fine -- you don't change the ending to a classic, yo