Denny Doherty his daughter Mackenzie Phillips, and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, which toured and performed old standards and new tunes written by John. Doherty later produced an off-Broadway show called "Dream a Little Dream", which was a narrative of his perspective of the story of The Mamas & the Papas. It was well received and garnered favourable reviews. The show was in part a response to John's PBS documentary "Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas". It featured music from the group and focused on his relationship with Cass Elliot. In 1993, he played the part
The Mamas & the Papas lost $150,000 in their first eighteen months. Phillips called a halt in August 1983 and the New Mamas and the Papas did not perform again until February 1985. They then resumed touring, with concerts in Europe, East Asia, and South America, as well as in Canada and the United States; at their height, they were playing up to 280 nights a year. John Phillips stayed off heroin, but remained addicted to alcohol, cocaine, and pills, as did his daughter. This affected the group's performance, as they were occasionally booed off stage. Doherty quit in 1987 and was replaced by Scott