> Maybe the reason you never noticed it before is because it never happened before; maybe someone added it to the script after watching too many episodes of 'Wallace and Grommit'... :o)
>
> Paul

Yes, I'm sure that's what they did. It's a fairly common thing it seems, to switch or replace humor in plays/musicals/operettas with local inside jokes. Almost every musical I've ever been involved with has done it.