'The Fantasticks'
"The Fantasticks," book and lyrics by Tom Jones, music by Harvey Schmidt. Directed by Eric Peterson and Terrie M. Robinson
America’s musical, "The Fantasticks," is 47 years old. First produced in 1960 at the Sullivan Street Playhouse, where it ran for 40 years or more, it has been seen by more people than its tiny theater could make possible. It has toured, been seen in small regional theaters, large regional theaters, high schools, colleges and even on television with Ann-Margret playing a 16-year-old and was filmed not long ago with Joel Grey playing the girl’s father. Its principal songs, "Try to Remember," "Soon It’s Gonna Rain, "and "They Were You" became instant hits and are still being sung today.
Especially today. They grace the stage at the Oldcastle Theatre Company’s production in the beautiful theater in the Bennington Center for the Natural and Cultural Arts.
Many people have started their careers with the roles in this show, or cemented their places in the theatrical pantheon. Jerry Orbach was the original El Gallo, for example. Rita Gardner and Kenneth Nelson were the girl and the boy.
In Vermont, the boy, Matt, is played by Dennis Clark, a charming young man with a lovely, light voice and an easy manner, all of which certainly puts him into the Kenneth Nelson category. He might move easily onward to bigger and better things from this show. He charms. He blends his voice nicely when the script requires it. He stands out in the small crowd of players he works with here
As the girl, Luisa, there is a young woman named Megan Grocutt. Her work is not as good as her boyfriend’s. She is less experienced. Her voice is smaller and needs training or amplification (which at Oldcastle should never be necessary). She can play sweetly, but the tarter aspects of the role are not readily hers as yet. When she tells Matt that girls mature sooner, she isn’t convincing because her understanding of the part is not being communicated thoroughly.
As their fathers, Hucklebee and Bellomy we have two men who know how to "Plant a Radish." J.C. Hoyt is the girl’s father, Bellomy, and Philip A. Lance is the boy’s father, Hucklebee. They are a terrific duo. Lance has an excellent voice and Hoyt knows how to make a simple gesture into a personal laugh-line. The two men are conspiratorially delicious.
Richard Howe plays El Gallo, a role that requires seductive qualities that Howe cannot quite summon. He does well with the songs and seems to enjoy playing with his cape, but the need for a suave and sinister side that this character asks of its portrayers never emerges in his playing. It is a shame, too, for he has the looks and the voice, if not the moves, and when he takes his leave of Luisa he doesn’t do so with the impact that matures a young girl into a woman.
Tim Foley and Mark Vaughan have a fine old time with the roles of Henry and Mortimer. They make their entrances and exits in a way that must be seen to be believed and they do what they do with style, panache and wit. Chris Restino plays the very important role of The Mute. The silent figure is not what he seems and is often more than the sum of his part. Restino, under the guidance of choreographer Terrie M. Robinson and director Eric Peterson, emerges as a subtle, delicate mime artist.
Good work has been done by the production team, most especially the set designer Wm.John Aupperlee and the costume designer Patti Brundage. Peterson has guided his players deftly through the vaudeville aspects of the piece.
America’s musical reeks of age and at the same time triples its freshness when adorned with talent. It all seems so familiar and it is simultaneously a delight to rediscover how unique the piece is after all this time. No one has duplicated its style. The songs are telling and intelligent and bring tears to the eyes and laugh to the heart.
This production has every element of the original going for it, with very few exceptions. Sue Maskaleris, the musical director and keyboards player, could pick up the tempo now and then and give the show a bit of drive and energy. At two hours and eleven minutes it runs about ten minutes too long.
Take advantage, I say, of the presence of "The Fantasticks" and see what the rest of America has already seen: youth and its enthusiasm enthralled with life. Seeing such sights in southern Vermont is almost too much, almost too real, to be believed.
The Fantasticks plays at the Oldcastle Theatre Company stage at the Bennington Center for the Natural and Cultural Arts on Route 9 in Bennington, Vermont through September 2. For information and tickets, call the box office at 802-447-1267.