Stage Door Theatre Presents THE FANTASTICKS, Now thru 10/11

When The Fantasticks opened at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village on May 3rd, 1960, no one, least of all its creators, had any idea this simple yet stylistic musical would become the longest lasting production in theatrical history, running in its original incarnation for 42 years, and 17,162 performances.

Described as a "funny and romantic musical about a boy, a girl, two fathers and a wall, the play's narrator, El Gallo, asks the audience to use their imagination and follow him into a world of moonlight and magic. The boy and the girl fall in love, grow apart, and finally find their way back to each other after realizing the truth in El Gallo's words that "without a hurt, the heart is hollow"."

The book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt include Try to Remember, They Were You, and Soon It's Gonna Rain, and have become as timeless as the story itself. The musical is based loosely on several literary classics including The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, which draws elements from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.

"The Fantasticks is the longest running show in the history of the American theatre," says director Dan Kelley. "Among the thousands of actors who have performed in The Fantasticks are: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Richard Chamberlain, Elliot Gould, Bert Lahr, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Orbach, F. Murray Abraham, and Glenn Close. I have a wonderful cast including some familiar faces as well as some exciting newcomers," he continues. "Making their Stage Door debut will be Alexander Zenoz as Matt, Steve Goldstein as Bellomy, Sebastian Lombardo as Mortimer, Alan Gerstel as Henry, and Pedro Kaawaloa as El Gallo. And returning to our stage will be Molly Anne Ross as Luisa, Pierre Tannous as The Mute, and Larry Bramble as Hucklebee."

"The Fantasticks has always been one of my favorite shows," production's musical director David Nagy explains. "I'm old enough that, when I was first getting involved in musical theater, it was a relatively new show. I think the score has some of the most beautiful songs ever written for the theater, and there's a timeless element to the script. Although I have seldom done the same show more than once, The Fantasticks is one of the few shows I don't mind doing over and over. Through the years, I've gotten to meet several individuals from the 1960 production: Rita Gardner, the original Luisa; Julian Stein, the original music director; and Jones and Schmidt themselves. It was always a thrill to meet these people who were part of a show that was so important to me growing up.

"One of the first times I was ever on stage was in a revue, dancing to the song "They Were You" which is sung at the end of the show, Nagy continues. "I can't remember my dancing partner's name, but I remember her nickname was "Peanut". So to Peanut, wherever you are: this one's for you!"

The Fantasticks will run from tonight, September 4 - October 11 at The Stage Door Theatre. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, Margate, 33065.

Tickets for The Fantasticks are $38 - $42; $16 student tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoortheatre.com. Group and Subscriber Discounts are available for all Stage Door productions.

To post a comment, you must register and login.