In 1960 the United States was a gentler place. We were a more innocent people. TV was without graphic references to sex. Sitcom characters didn't swear. Those who were alienated and dissatisfied sat in at lunch counters; they didn't strap bombs to their waists. Dwight Eisenhower was president, and "The Fantasticks" opened in a tiny theater in New York.
With its wistful songs, sweet love story and gentle awakening to life's trials as well as its joys, it was the perfect musical for those times and the years after. "The Fantasticks" spoke so directly to the heart that it enjoyed enormous popularity and became the longest-running musical ever to be produced anywhere in the world. It played continuously in New York for 42 years. Since 1960, it has been produced in thousands of places, including all 50 states and such far-flung venues as Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
And still it continues drawing audiences. I know of three professional productions locally this season, and there may be others I'm not aware of.
With music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones, it offers a magical combination of slapstick and exquisite verbal imagery. Its hilarious moments are a counterpoint to the sweet joy and heartbreaking sadness of young love. Songs like "Soon It's Gonna Rain" and "Try to Remember" have become American classics.
It's a remarkable work whose theatrical roots run deep. This play is, in fact, an adaptation of "The Romancers," a 19th-century "Romeo and Juliet" work by Edmond Rostand. That was a pretty little piece, but not nearly as well known as Rostand's great masterpiece "Cyrano de Bergerac." Schmidt and Jones, however, mined its gold.
"The Fantasticks" can claim additional theatrical precedents. Shakespeare is present in more than the theme. Lines from many of his plays find a place here, but always in mangled form. This is a comedy after all, and part of the fun is hearing some of the Bard's most famous lines mutilated by the character Henry, a has-been actor whose will is strong even if his mind's a bit weak.
Still another forebear is Commedia dell'arte, an Italian theater tradition enormously popular in the 15th and 16th centuries and still influential. Begun as street theater, it employs set character types. Its style makes great use of the body as a communication tool (think Kramer in "Seinfeld"), and the actors use masks. All of these elements are found in "The Fantasticks."
So why didn't Taproot's production thrill me? Part of the reason is that though the play speaks to our nostalgia, it does seem dated itself. The other reason for my lack of enthusiasm is the fact that many in the cast have trouble with the music. It's more than they can master, and in a musical, that's an unfortunate flaw.
Not that they lack stage presence. Anne Kennedy as Luisa makes the most beautiful and winsome lovestruck teenager. Sam Lai as her love interest, Matt, is properly confused about life. Kelly Balch is outstanding as the mute - but, of course, she doesn't have to sing. And Bob Borwick as Mortimer is a brilliant pantomime artist, especially when he demonstrates his skill at dying on stage.
Karen Lund, the director of this production, reversed the gender of Hucklebee and Bellomy. In the original version, they are neighboring fathers - of Luisa and Matt - whose scheming causes their offspring to fall in love. Here they are mothers. With actresses as good as Faith Russell and Pat Sibley, the decision to make that change was well taken. These women do sing well, and their voices meld beautifully. They are also masters at conveying meaning with body language and facial expression.
"Try to remember," we're advised in "The Fantasticks"' best-known song. For those who long for the past, who rue the pace of modern society with its lack of subtleties and what some would call the "niceties" of daily existence, this play will take you back. Any sharp edges in the original have been softened. It will also remind you of the innocence of your youth, when a girl could be a princess and a boy could be a knight in shining armor, when romantic notions could hide cold reality.
For those who savor comfort food, this has the necessary ingredients.[[In-content Ad]]
