Review: THE FANTASTICKS at Orlando Shakes

It's hard to imagine a musical theatre world without the iconic, simple but lovely, musical THE FANTASTICKS. Opening at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in 1960 and playing a record breaking 42 years (making it the "world's longest running musical"), Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's "little musical that could" has touched hearts and audiences for the last 62 years. It has evolved and changed over that time (more on that in a minute) but has never lost its core appeal - a beautiful, poetic, and highly theatrical tale of the power and depth of love - gained, lost and found again. Adding to the rich history of THE FANTASTICKS is the latest production of the musical at Orlando Shakes - one which delights, warms the heart and reminds us why it's good to "Try to Remember" every so often.

Jones and Schmidt's THE FANTASTICKS is loosely based on the play LES ROMANEQUES by Edmond Rostand and shares the story of two young people, The Girl, Luisa (Valerie Torres-Rosario), and The Boy, Matt (Damian Barray) who live next door to each other but are kept apart by a wall built by their fathers, Bellomy and Hucklebee (Bert Rodriguez and E. Mani Cadet). The boy and girl soon fall in love, something their fathers secretly hoped for when building the wall - by forbidding their being together they hope to spark a romance. To seal the deal, the fathers hire a bandit, El Gallo (Davis Gaines) to abduct young Louisa, allowing Matt to save the day and end their "feud". Aiding El Gallo in the subterfuge is aging actor Henry (Philip Nolen), his "apprentice" Mortimer (Brandon Roberts) also known as "The Man Who Dies", and the mysterious Mute (Matti Endsley) who beautifully colors the narrative with dance, scenic dressing and an artfully placed "wall". But all is not bliss for the young lovers, as they soon discover that what was "scenic" by the moonlight (Act I) may seem "cynic" by day (Act II) taking them on a fateful path of self-discovery which leads to a richer and deeper understanding of life and love.

Orlando Shakes' production of THE FANTASTICKS is solid, stalwart, and sensitive - hitting all the notes audiences have come to expect over its long life. Director (and Choreographer) Joshian Morales makes good use of the thrust stage, putting the action right in the middle of the audience (something necessary for an intimate piece like this one). He captures the mystery and poetic nature of the musical through the theatrical staging and performances of the talented cast. As noted earlier, some changes have been made over the last 62 years to ensure the story continues to resonate with audiences and not distract from the story. The most notable of these is the much needed update to "It Depends on What You Pay" - changing the original reference from "rape" to "abduction" - a much better choice for the current times. That said, there were other small additions in this production that fell flat including the addition of a handful of modern pop culture references (e.g., Alohamora, quotes from Diff'rent Strokes) that were really not necessary to the story.

Any cast of THE FANTASTICKS needs to feel like a well-oiled machine - due to the poetic flow of the story and the implication that these players are a troupe who tell this story night after night. The cast of Orlando Shakes' production convey that feeling of familiarity well - playing off each other and convincingly delivering the tale. As the Narrator, El Gallo, Broadway legend and Orlando native, Davis Gaines does a great job. He gives the audience a mysterious and sultry bandit, without coming across overly dangerous - making his El Gallo believable in his stated intentions. Mr. Gaines delivers El Gallo's rich baritone classics, including "Try to Remember" with a smooth and nuanced delivery. Valerie Torres-Rosario does a great job with Luisa's lilting soprano numbers and effectively portrays her character arc from naive young girl to mature young woman. And as her love, Matt, Damian Barray is effervescent in his delivery - and is strongest in his scene work, especially with Ms. Torres-Rosario. As their fathers, E. Mani Cadet and Bert Rodriguez add a vaudevillian flair to their songs - eliciting smiles and laughs from the audience. Philip Nolen is boisterous and bold as the Actor, Henry and Brandon Roberts is hilarious as Mortimer, giving the audience a death scene they will not soon forget. Finally, as The Mute - Matti Endsley is energetic and a bundle of joy every time she enters the stage.

From a technical perspective, THE FANTASTICKS is pretty straightforward - but the team for this production have found subtle ways to put their own touches on the creative elements. Ruthmarie Tenorio's scenic design is built upon a rich, wooden thrust stage with a wooden trunk (from which emerge props and players) and include nice touches like a green fringe curtain to imply the woods, and an inspired shadow projection for "Round and Round" - supported by strong lighting by Philip Lupo. Denise R. Warner's costumes are the perfect balance of extravagant and simple and use muted colors without skimping on lovely design touches. Britt Sandusky's designs support the sound well and John C. Cavazos' music direction comes through strongly in each musical number. The small band, led by Associate Music Director, John DeHaas creates the perfect musical atmosphere for the evening.

Overall, THE FANTASTICKS is a beautiful, poetic and classic musical that everyone should know. It has the right mix of theatrical "magic", beautiful music and heart-touching narration. And at Orlando Shakes, the show has gained new life with a solid cast and inspired creatives, which, together, has the potential to reach audiences in new and touching ways.

THE FANTASTICKS presented by Orlando Shakes, runs at the Margeson Theater at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center at 812 E Rollins St Orlando, FL 32803 through February 26th. Tickets start at $37 and can be purchased by visiting www.orlandoshakes.org or calling 407-447-1700.

Photo credit: Tony Firriolo for Orlando Shakes

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