Previews: THE FANTASTICKS at Provincetown Theater

The Provincetown Theater will be presenting their production of the longest running musical in theatre history. THE FANTASTICKS will take to the stage as the company presents an updated re-imagined version of the classic love story, written and updated by the original author, Tom Jones.

First presented in 1960 Off-Broadway at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in NY , the show settled in for a 42 year run. The small cast, led by the young Jerry Orbach, told the love story of a boy and girl whose father's plotted to unite the young couple. Living next door to each other, the fathers scheme and pretend to feud and forbid the two to associate with each other. And in doing so, the boy and girl fall in love, against the supposed wishes of their parents.  Act I is a story of forbidden love and Act II shows the trials of young love.

Jones has written this updated version for Flint  Repertory Theatre in Michigan, where the two young lovers are two young gay men (Luisa becomes Lewis), and now it is their mothers who are the feuding parents. The unique relationship between a gay man and his mother can be further explored. But as stage Director David Drake and author Jones have found, very little of the script actually needed to be changed to accommodate this universal love story.  Drake states that even with these gender changes “ the trajectories of the characters have not really changed at all.  The  script sings  and rhymes...when El Gallo sings “Try To Remember “ he gives us a return to childlike simplicity and innocence so we can re-experience first love”

The musical uses some elements of commedia dell'arte and a troupe of traveling players in the form of a "mute,” an "actor,” and a "narrator.” The audience will also  find elements of classic love stories from ROMEO AND JULIET to CANDIDE.  With a narrator named El Gallo and a score that includes many tango and flamenco rhythms, Drake plans to explore those Latin influences. The infectious score  by Harvey Schmidt  includes "Try To Remember," "Much More" and "Soon It's Gonna Rain." 

Set in present day, Drake describes the setting as “ an homage to the original Provincetown Players, with a stage backdrop that is Lewis Wharf. It’s all done on a dock with a nautical theme.”

The cast of local actors includes Kenneth Lonergan (Mortimer), Harrison Fish (Matt), Peter Toto (Lewis), Chanthoeun Collins (The Mute), Megan Amorese (Bessie Bae Bellomy), Beau Jackett (El Gallo), Sara Fitzpatrick (Mildred Hucklebee), and Jay Baer (Henry).

THE FANTASTICKS is directed and staged by David Drake, with Musical Direction by John Thomas, Scenic Designer by Ellen Rousseau, Lighting Design by Stephen Petrelli and Costume Design by Carol Sherry

THE FANTASTICKS runs Mondays through Thursdays  from July 10th to August 31, 2023. Contact www.provincetowntheater.org for more information.