Fantasticks, The
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Wikipedia-Article "The Fantasticks"
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical comedy with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It is loosely based on a story called "The Romancers" ("Les Romanesques") by Edmond Rostand.
It premiered in the Sullivan Street Playhouse, a small New York City off-Broadway theater, on May 3, 1960, with Jerry Orbach in the role of the narrator. It closed on January 13, 2002, after 17,162 performances. It is the world's longest-running musical, and the longest-running show of any kind in the United States.
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Plot
The musical takes place in a suburban town. A boy (Matt Hucklebee) and a girl (Luisa Bellamy) who live next door to each other fall in love, but their romance must be kept secret from their feuding fathers. Later, it is revealed that the "feud" was manufactured by their fathers as a way to bring the two together by making them believe that their love was "forbidden fruit".
Seeking to end the charade, the fathers hire the services of a roving actor and rogue (El Gallo, who is also the play's narrator) to stage a phony "abduction" of Luisa so that Matt can "rescue" her and win the approval of Luisa's father. The plan succeeds, and the two families are united. However, with their love no longer "forbidden fruit", Matt and Luisa begin to grow restless, and the fathers begin feuding for real. Matt leaves to find out what lies "Beyond that Road" while Luisa allows herself to be seduced by El Gallo. Both Matt and Luisa, having been burned by their respective experiences, rediscover their love for each other. And try to devlop a more mature relationship.
Impact
In addition to being the longest running theatrical show in U.S. history, "The Fantasticks" has become a staple of regional, community, and high school productions virtually since its premiere in 1960. It is one of the only musicals to have been made available to smaller theaters before its original production closed. Its popularity in these spaces may be due to its budget-friendly minimalist set design, as well as public familiarity with its most recognized song, "Try to Remember". However, a big-screen version of "The Fantasticks" failed to generate significant interest despite boasting an impressive roster of film talent that included Joel Grey, Joe McIntyre, Jean Louisa Kelly, and director Michael Ritchie.
Controversy
Despite its success, "The Fantasticks" has become somewhat controversial due to its use of the word "rape". When El Gallo offers to stage a phony kidnapping of Luisa, he describes the kidnapping as a "rape". He explains the word's etymology which supports his interpretation of "rape" as an abduction and not forcible sexual intercourse. However, as sexual assault is a major issue in the world, today the word has come to almost exclusively refer to it. So while El Gallo's usage is correct, today it is becoming obsolete. The song, "It Depends On What You Pay", is hence shocking to many audience members as it describes different kidnapping scenarios under the heading of "rape". To deal with the change of language and the new meanings this change caused to their song, the authors wrote a replacement piece called "Abduction." It is generally agreed this song is not as clever as the original, nor is it musically as compelling as it seems only to be new lyrics put atop the music of the abduction scene. It does allow producers of the musical a way to avoid the controversy recently raised by the original song.