The Fantasticks

Later this month, a bunch of us are going to see a production of "The Fantasticks" even though some of us have seen multi productions of the show and been involved, one way or another, in some of those productions.

In case you didn't already know, "The Fantasticks" opened at the off-Broadway Sullivan Street Theatre on May 3, 1960. Reviews were mediocre, but word of mouth got around that the show was, well, "fantastic", so the run was extended for a week, then another week, then.....it ran at the same theare for forty years !! That's right, forty years.

It is the longest running musical in the world.
It is the most frequently produced musical in the world.
It is the longest running show in the history of the American theatre.
It has been produced in all 50 states and 68 foreign countries.

All this, despite the fact that it is a "bare bones" production. No sets; no big chorus numbers; no full orchestra. The entire cast consists of five men, a boy, and a girl. Quite often the "orchestra" consists of two pianists.

It's the story of two fathers living next door to each other. One loves flowers; the other likes vegetables. One has a sixteen year old daughter, the other has a 19 year old son. The fathers argue constantly. In fact, they have built a wall between their back yards and forbidden their
children to even speak to each other. (The "wall", by the way, is represented by a mute holding a stick.) Despite the wall, the boy discovers the girl, falls madly in love with her, and she with him.

And that is exactly what the fathers had hoped for. Their plan worked! But now, how do they bring the children together without revealing the truth? Well, you can take it from there.

Way back when the off-Broadway show had been running a mere eight years, I did a production of it at the college. What you are about to see, in no particular order, are a few moments from that 1968 production. It's hard to accept that everyone you see in these pictures is now 41 years older, making them somewhere in their late fifties or early sixties. Hope you enjoy my reminiscing.
The handsome, dashing El Gallo, who sweeps the girl off her feet with his smooth talk.

The Girl - "The moon turns red on my birthday every year and it always will until somebody saves me and takes me back to my palace."

The boy serenading the girl over the wall. "Love! You are love! Better far than a metaphor can ever ever be."

The fathers: "Plant a radish, get a radish. Never any doubt. That's why I love vegetables, you know what you're about."

Ooops. You've already seen this one. Oh well.

The girl, the boy, and the mute. "Soon it's gonna rain...."

El Gallo (narrator), the fathers, the girl and the boy.

"Why do the kids pour jam on the cat? Raspberry jam all over the cat?

Why should the kids do something like that? When all that we said was no."

El Gallo, with the assistance of an old actor and an Indian whose specialty is dying on stage,

battle with the boy as he comes to her rescue. "Orchestra! Accelerando con molto!"


Mortimor ("Die again, Mortimor") and the old actor show the boy the pleasures of their world.

"I can see it..."

The cast, and the two fantastic pianists who played every note flawlessly.

Ah yes, "Try to remember......"