4 months ago
EXCLUSIVE: The Fantasticks, that groundbreaking 42-year staple of New York’s Off Broadway scene, is astir to break immoderate much turf: A Broadway accumulation is being readied that will reimagine nan Tom Jones-Harvey Schmidt downtown classical arsenic a modern cheery emotion story.
Directing and choreographing will beryllium Death Becomes Her director Christopher Gattelli. Broadway & Beyond Theatricals, Daryl Roth, and True North Theatricals are producing.
In nan re-envisioned Fantasticks, nan cardinal romanticist brace – traditionally Matt and Luisa – are now Matt and Lewis, reinterpreting nan story’s “allegory of love, longing, and reconciliation done a cheery lens,” according to producers. The show’s original brace of fathers, who secretly orchestrate nan clandestine emotion matter betwixt their children, are now mothers.
Featuring a revised book and lyrics by Jones and euphony by Schmidt, this caller type of nan world’s longest-running philharmonic was completed by Jones earlier his decease successful 2023. The adjustment was first presented successful 2022 astatine Flint Repertory Theatre successful Flint, MI, and continued its improvement astatine respective different theaters including Provincetown Playhouse successful Provincetown, MA, and Coachella Valley Repertory successful Cathedral City, CA.
Speaking of nan adjustment successful 2022, Jones told Playbill, “I knew that to beryllium done decently it would require a batch of rewriting, particularly of lyrics. The much I thought astir it, nan much absorbing it seemed. And erstwhile I really began moving connected it, I became much and much enthusiastic. I had awesome nosy doing it. I dream group person awesome nosy viewing it.”
The accumulation will characteristic caller orchestrations by Sam Davis (Death Becomes Her, New York, New York) and scenic creation by Jason Sherwood (Emmy Award victor for The Academy Awards).
Casting, further imaginative squad and capacity timeline will beryllium announced successful nan coming months.
Originally premiering Off Broadway connected May 3, 1960, astatine nan Sullivan Street Playhouse successful Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, The Fantasticks ran for 42 years, playing 17,162 performances, making it nan world’s longest-running musical. The original formed included Jerry Orbach, Rita Gardner and Kenneth Nelson. Notable performers who person taken connected roles successful nan show aliases its revivals see Liza Minnelli, Ricardo Montalbán, Kristin Chenoweth, John Goodman, Megan Mullally, Santino Fontana, and galore others.
The show’s signature ballad “Try to Remember” has been recorded by hundreds of artists, including Harry Belafonte, Bobby Darin, Gladys Knight, and Plácido Domingo. Other notable songs from nan score, specified arsenic “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “They Were You,” person been interpreted complete nan decades by Barbra Streisand, Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Josh Groban, and Dionne Warwick, among others.
General guidance for nan caller accumulation is by DR Theatrical Management. Dan Shaheen represents nan musicals of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt.
Director and choreographer Gattelli received nan 2012 Tony Award for his choreography of Newsies. He is presently represented connected Broadway by Death Becomes Her (director and choreographer) and Ragtime astatine Lincoln Center Theater (creative consultant). He has choreographed 20 Broadway productions including The King and I, SpongeBob SquarePants, My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Sunday successful nan Park pinch George, and The Cher Show, earning 7 Tony nominations.
