adept at doing character humor." Pfeiffer reminded Rosenberg of Marilyn Monroe's performance in Some Like it Hot (1959). Pfeiffer was initially worried about working opposite a pair of brothers but admitted her concerns were ultimately unfounded. Kloves wrote the character of Blanche "Monica" Moran, a waitress and aspiring singer, specifically for Jennifer Tilly, which would become her breakthrough role. Filming A two-week rehearsal took place after the film was cast, during which Kloves observed each main cast member discover how they would approach their respective roles. Kloves was particularly impressed with Beau's process, explaining, "in the first week of rehearsal he went back and forth between being very high and very low ... [by] ... the second week he suddenly found the sweet spot for the character and stayed there with perfect pitch for the entire shoot." Kloves and the three main actors visited local bars to study lounge performers, while Kloves directed improvisational sessions at the Bridges' homes. Both Jeff and Beau had piano keyboards in their dressing rooms and spent several months learning to play the film's songs during pre-production, specifically studying how their musical performances should appear to onlookers. Jeff did not attend the 1988 London Film Festival where he was being honored due to his commitment to filming The Fabulous Baker Boys. Before production began, Pfeiffer was warned that preparing for Susie would require twice as much effort as a typical acting performance, likening the process to "a musician preparing to do an album." On camera, Pfeiffer lip-synced to the songs she recorded in the recording studio. Principal photography began on December 5, 1988, and was completed over the course of two months by March 1989. The film had a production budget of $11.5 million. Although primarily set in Seattle, Washington, The Fabulous Baker Boys was mostly filmed in Los Angeles, California. Kloves consulted with production designer Jeffery Townsend to retain the melancholy Seattle atmosphere on the Los Angeles set. Some scenes were shot at the Ambassador Hotel, with its Coconut Grove nightclub being used for several nighttime scenes. The hotel itself was permanently closed in 1989, shortly after filming concluded. The Greystone Mansion was used for several exterior shots. The Millennium Biltmore Hotel also served as a location for some of the film's interior scenes and musical sequences, including "Makin' Whoopee", which was shot in its Crystal Ballroom. Pfeiffer was originally hesitant to film the