THE FANTASTICKS to Charm Arena Stage, 11/20 - 1/10; Sebastian La Cause Leads Cast

Arena Stage presents an innovative take on the world's longest-running musical, The Fantasticks by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Director Amanda Dehnert (Oregon Shakespeare Festival‘s All's Well That Ends Well and Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Cabaret) and famed set designer EuGene Lee (Tony Award for Broadway's Wicked, Candide, Sweeney Todd) take a spin on this timeless love story by staging it in Rocky Point, an abandoned amusement park in Rhode Island. This whimsical twist on the classic musical is full of buoyant humor, charming music and incredible magic that will thrill audiences of all ages. The Fantasticks runs November 20, 2009 - January 10, 2010 at Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theatre, with an official opening on Friday, November 27, 2009.

Sebastian La Cause (Broadway's Chicago and She Loves Me at Arena Stage) returns to Arena as the infamous El Gallo and is joined by Addi McDaniel (Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks), Timothy Ware (national tour of Mamma Mia!), Michael Stone Forrest (Helen Hayes nominee for Sweeney Todd at Signature Theatre), Jerome Lucas Harmann (Off-Broadway's Rio and Ton Beau Capitaine), Nate Dendy (Off-Broadway's Underground Bound and Poof!) and Jesse Terrill (She Loves Me and Born Yesterday at Arena Stage). Also returning to Arena Stage is Terrence Currier (Broadway's Damn Yankees), a member of the Arena Stage company from 1972 to 1992, who has appeared in more than 80 Arena productions. The cast and four-piece ensemble will be led by Musical Director George Fulginiti-Shakar (Arena's Cabaret and Damn Yankees).

"I have always loved The Fantasticks," said Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith. "Amanda is revitalizing the American Theater form by taking classic productions and opening them up to new possibilities. She is an artist that I have been following for years and, under her direction, Arena Stage will explore this story in a fresh and compelling way."

The Fantasticks is a fanciful take on the traditional boy-meets-girl story. After their fathers forbid their love and build a wall to separate the two, Matt and Luisa are led by El Gallo from the wistfulness of "when life was slow and oh so mellow" to the reality that "without a hurt the heart is hollow." Popular songs, such as "Try to Remember" and "Soon It's Gonna Rain," fill the score. Loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, the story is centered around youthful love and learning to face the realities the world presents.

"The Fantasticks is profoundly about how to be human," said Dehnert. "The show comes from a place of innocence. It teaches us how to live with both the happiness and the hurt that life can introduce, while at the same time it dares us to face both and find our way in the world."

This production will feature new elements of magic, from small sleight-of-hand tricks to large astonishing magical feats. Illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, who has designed illusions for Barnum and Bailey Circus, David Copperfield and Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, will add his brand of magic and illusion. These elements, paired with Lee's grand set design, are a new approach to this show, which is traditionally presented as a small-scale production.
"Magic is the art of making the impossible seem possible, similar to the story of The Fantasticks, where what you see is not always what's really there," continues Dehnert. "By setting the show in the abandoned amusement park, the audience can recall the happiness that these places once contained and tap into a place that was once simple. The Fantasticks returns the audience to this forgotten place to see the magic again, and be aware of past innocence and search for adventure."

Originally premiering as a one-act musical in 1959 at Barnard College, The Fantasticks began its famous Off-Broadway run May 3, 1960 at the Sullivan Street Playhouse, where it played until January 13, 2002, a record-breaking 42 years. In 1992, The Fantasticks received a Tony Award Honor for Excellence in Theater.

Tom Jones (Book & Lyrics) and Harvey Schmidt (Music) wrote The Fantasticks for a summer theater at Barnard College. After its Off-Broadway opening in 1960, it went on to become the longest-running production in American theater history and one of the most frequently produced musicals in the world. It is currently running in a successful revival in New York. Their first Broadway show, 110 in the Shade, was successfully revived a few years ago by Roundabout Theatre, starring Audra MacDonald. I Do! I Do!, their two-character musical starring Mary Martin and Robert Preston, was a success on Broadway and is frequently done around the world. (One production in Minneapolis played for 22 years with the same two actors). For several years, Jones and Schmidt worked privately at their theater workshop, concentrating on small-scale musicals in new and, often, untried forms. The most notable were Celebration, which moved to Broadway, and Philemon, which won an Outer Critics Circle Award. They contributed incidental music and lyrics to the Off-Broadway play Colette, starring Zoe Caldwell, and later did a full musical version titled Colette Collage. In 1998, The Show Goes On, a revue of their songs starring themselves, was presented at York Theatre, and Mirette, based on the award-winning children's book, premiered at Goodspeed Opera House. In addition to an Obie and a 1992 special Tony for The Fantasticks, their "stars" were added in 1999 to the Off-Broadway Walk of Fame outside the Lortel Theatre.

Amanda Dehnert (Director) is a resident director with Trinity Rep and an asst. professor at Northwestern Univ. Recent projects: All's Well That Ends Well for Oregon Shakespeare, Cabaret for The Stratford Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet for Chicago Shakespeare and My Fair Lady for Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House and Virginia Stage. Ms. Dehnert held various positions with Trinity Rep since 1996, culminating in serving as acting artistic director for the 2005/06 season. Past productions for Trinity: Cyrano de Bergerac; Henry IV, Parts I and II; West Side Story; A Moon for the Misbegotten; Annie; The Skin of Our Teeth; Noises Off; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; My Fair Lady; Othello; Saint Joan; We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!; and A Christmas Carol. Ms. Dehnert is also a composer and musical director and has written scores and songs for many of her productions.

Sebastian La Cause (El Gallo) first appeared at Arena Stage as Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me. Other D.C. appearances include Kennedy Center's Carnival as Marco and the first national tour of A Chorus Line as Zach. On Broadway he played Rocky in the Tony-nominated revival of The Rocky Horror Show. He also appeared in the Broadway companies of Chicago, Minnelli on Minnelli, Once upon a Mattress and Kiss of the Spider Woman (national tour). He's performed regionally at Caldwell Theatre (Darren Lemming in Take Me Out), Old Globe (Dancing in the Dark), Hartford Stage (Fascinating Rhythm) and Bay Street (Pippin), and Off-Broadway at EST. Mr. La Cause was recently seen in the film Ghost Town, as well as Chicago, Showgirls and the upcoming indie BearCity. TV credits include All My Children and One Life to Live. www.sebastianlacause.com.

Addi McDaniel (Luisa) is honored to be making her debut at Arena Stage. She comes directly from the Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks under the direction of Tom Jones. Ms. McDaniel starred as Gabriella in North Shore Music Theatre's productions of High School Musical and High School Musical 2. She also appeared in the world premiere of Little House on the Prairie at The Guthrie. She is a proud graduate of Penn State Univ. Love to her amazing family, friends, and Ry.

Timothy Ware (Matt) is excited to be joining the Arena Stage family. He was the first African-American cast as Sky in Mamma Mia! (2nd Broadway national tour). Other credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway national tour); Off-Broadway's For Lovers Only (New World Stages), Judas in Godspell (Syracuse Stage), Junie in The Colored Museum (Crossroads Theatre), Purlie (Pasadena Playhouse/Goodman Theatre), and Like Jazz (Mark Taper Forum). He directed Jelly's Last Jam and Ain't Misbehavin' (Kuntu Rep). He was also associate choreographer for Beehive, Godspell and Guys and Dolls (Alabama Shakespeare). He has a B.A. in theater arts from Alabama State Univ. and has studied acting in UCLA's M.F.A. program under the direction of Mel Shapiro. This is for Skye, Summer, Eugene and his amazing agents at SCAW Inc.

Michael Stone Forrest (Hucklebee) returns to Arena Stage after last performing in Damn Yankees. Other Arena productions include Camelot, South Pacific, Of Thee I Sing, and A Wonderful Life. Other Washington appearances include: Dickinson in 1776 and Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird at Ford's; Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park, Passion and Mame at Kennedy Center; Tintypes and The Fantasticks (as El Gallo) at Round House; and Sweeney in Sweeney Todd at Signature Theater. Film and TV credits include National Treasure 2, Syriana, The Invasion, Major League 2 and Det. Frank Barlow in The Wire. Mr. Forrest is a six-time Helen Hayes Award nominee. He is also a member of Washington, D.C.'s political satire troupe, The Capitol Steps.

Jerome Lucas Harmann (Bellomy) is honored to be joining the long and distinguished line of actors who have graced Arena Stage. Other Washington appearances include Gabriel in Kiss of the Spider Woman (national tour) at the National Theater. On Broadway, he performed opposite Ann Hampton Calloway in Swing. Off-Broadway in Ton Beau Capitaine (dir. Seret Scott) and Rio (dir. Tom O'Horgan). Regional credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville (Once on This Island), MSMT (Coalhouse in Ragtime), Theatre des Westens, (Curtis in Dreamgirls) and Paper Mill Playhouse (The Full Monty with Elaine Stritch). He also works as a German-speaking actor in Austria and Germany, performing at Stadt Theatre Aachen (Mark Winner, Gaudi), Coliseum (Simeon in Joseph), Raimund Theatre (Esteban in Kiss of the Spider Woman). TV credits include roles on One Life to Live and All My Children.

Terrence Currier (Henry) first appeared onstage with his father, a headline act in the Keith Vaudeville circuit and has never recovered from the experience. After graduating from Harvard, he joined the resident acting company at Boston's Charles Playhouse, where he performed in over 30 productions. In 1972, he joiNed Washington's Arena Stage acting company, where he remained for 22 years, appearing over 80 productions and was honored to be a member of the company when they were awarded the Tony Award as outstanding resident company. He playEd Drake in the ill-fated pre-Broadway production of Annie 2 at Kennedy Center and Welsh for two years in the smash Broadway revival of Damn Yankees. He's appeared extensively in both film and TV.

Nate Dendy (The Mute) makes his debut this season at Arena Stage. He's also appeared Off-Broadway with MCC Theater's Freshplay Festival (Poof and Underground Bound). Regionally he as appeared at Trinity Rep (Ghost of Christmas Present, A Christmas Carol), Risk Theatre Initiative (Prior Walter, Angels in America) and Dallas Shakespeare Festival (Fabian, Twelfth Night). Other credits include Nym/Chorus/French Constable in Henry V and Neoptolemus in The Cure at Troy. Mr. Dendy is a 2009 M.F.A. graduate oF Brown Univ./Trinity Rep Consortium

Jesse Terrill (Mortimer/The Handyman) is making his third appearance with Arena Stage, after performing in She Loves Me (Violinist) and Born Yesterday (Barber/Bellhop). An actor and composer, he's recently appeared as Tartuffe in Tartuffe at Journeymen Theatre, Sigmund Freud in Forum Theatre's The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Helen Hayes nomination for Best Ensemble), Dion in Winter's Tale at Folger Theatre and The Director in Temptation at Constellation Theatre. Mr. Terrill is a company member of Forum Theatre.

Understudies are Thomas Adrian Simpsonand Michael Vitaly Sazonov

The Creative Team for The Fantasticks includes Choreographer ShaRon Jenkins, Musical Director George Fulginiti-Shakar, Assistant to the musical director Jenny Cartney, Set Designer EuGene Lee, Costume Designer Jessica Ford, Lighting Designer Nancy Schertler, Sound Designer Tim Thompson, Assistant Sound Designer Ryan Gastelum, Dramaturge Janine Sobeck, Fight Director Craig Handel, Illusion Designer Jim Steinmeyer, Illusion Assistant Jeff Grow, Stage Manager Martha Knight, Assistant Stage Manager Kurt Hall, Acting Apprentice is Jeanine Hossler, Stage Management Senior Fellow Alexandria Wood, Stage Management Fellow Marne Anderson, Directing Fellow Flordelino Lagundino, Lighting Fellow Catherine Girardi, Musical Contractor Rita Eggert, Line Producer Ronee Penoi and Rehearsal Pianist Jenny Cartney.

The Arena Stage musical theater season is sponsored by JayLee Mead. The Fantasticks is sponsored by Shugoll Research.

Tickets for The Fantasticks range from $25 to $74 plus applicable fees. A limited number of $10 tickets for patrons ages 30 and under go on sale beginning each Monday for performances that week. (All patrons must present valid ID.) HOTTIX, a limited number of half-price, day-of-performance tickets, are available 90 to 30 minutes before curtain prior to every performance. Tickets may be purchased online at www.arenastage.org, by phone at (202) 488-3300 or at the Arena Stage Sales Office at 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA 22202. For a complete performance schedule, in addition to a listing of special events surrounding the production, visit www.arenastage.org.

With construction well underway on the 48-year-old Southwest D.C. theater campus, Arena Stage has launched ARENA RESTAGED, a two-year festival celebrating the rich mosaic of our nation's voices. ARENA RESTAGED, which will lay the foundation for a new home for theater artists and audiences, will take place throughout the time it takes to finish the expansion of the new theater complex, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. At the Center, the two existing performance spaces-the Fichandler Stage and the Kreeger Theater-will be fully renovated and a new 200-seat space dedicated to premiering American theater, The Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle, will be added. Arena Stage at the Mead Center is scheduled to open for the 2010/11 season.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Managing Director Edgar Dobie, Washington, D.C.-based Arena Stage is the largest theater in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights. Founded in 1950 by Zelda Fichandler, Thomas Fichandler and Edward Mangum, Arena Stage was one of the nation's original resident theaters and has a distinguished record of leadership and innovation in the field. With the opening of the new Mead Center for American Theater in 2010, Arena Stage will be a leading center for the production, presentation, development and study of American theater. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 200,000. For more information please visit www.arenastage.org.

 

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