How many theater fans knew that a film version of the longest-running musical in stage history existed? Not many, which came as no surprise to Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, composers of the granddaddy of all tuners, The Fantasticks, which began its 41st year at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in May. "It's been a well-guarded secret," noted Schmidt.
No more, now that MGM/UA, which has seen more than its share of fluctuations (financial and otherwise) over the last two decades, has decided to pull "The Fantasticks" off the shelf, where it's been sitting for over five years. The film adaptation, directed by Michael Ritchie ("Downhill Racer," "The Candidate"), opened September 22, 2000 in New York (exclusively at the Top of the Empire, at the AMC 25 on 42nd Street) and Los Angeles, with art houses in other select cities to follow on October 1.
The screen adaptation would appear worth seeing just for the cast: Joel Grey and Brad Sullivan as the fathers, Jean Louisa Kelly ("Mr. Holland's Opus") plays Luisa, Joseph McIntyre is Matt (does anyone recall his Joey days as a New Kid on the Block?), veteran film and stage star Barnard Hughes (last on Broadway in Noel Coward's Waiting in the Wings) portrays The Old Actor, and Teller (of Penn and Teller) is Mortimer. British stage actor (Chichester Theatre Festival, National Theatre) Jonathan Morris is the swashbuckling El Gallo. TV viewers may remember him from the popular PBS series Coronation Street and a recurring role on ABC's "The Practice."
The movie marked one of Grey's few film roles since his Academy Award-winning performance in Bob Fosse's 1972 "Cabaret," in which he recreated his Tony-winning stage role of the emcee. Ironically, the same day the film opens, he'll be seen with Bjork and Catherine Deneuve at the opening night of the New York Film Festival in "Dancer in the Dark," a reworking of the Hollywood musical from Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier ("Breaking the Waves," "The Kingdom").
"The Fantasticks"' route to the big screen is interesting. "Last April, MGM announced plans for a direct-to-video release," said Jones, "and Tom, Michael and I looked at our contracts, which stated they were obligated to a theatrical release first. That's the least we should expect after the disappointment of waiting five years. We're elated that it's finally coming to the screen. It's gorgeous and offbeat, as offbeat as the show itself. We're not talking blockbuster. It's an art house film and, not knowing how long it will be in theaters, may I suggest fans seize the day and run to see it in all it's wide-screen and stereophonic sound glory."
MGM/UA announced a January 2001 video release, but a spokesperson for the company said it would be in stores before Christmas. The film was shot in Arizona, near Patagonia, which Schmidt said "is not typical your typical Arizona of desert and cactus, but beautiful and fertile." He pointed out this was where the film of "Oklahoma!" was shot. "It's a visually stunning film," he added, "a mixture of Fellini and MGM, set against a carnival backdrop! You have all these freaky characters watching the romance of the boy and girl." Jones and Schmidt found fans at MGM/UA when the new management team took stock of the shelves and "wondered why is this still here?" The composers and Ritchie contacted them. "Basically, they said they were willing to release it if we did a little trimming. Since the time the film was shot, there were places I felt could be tightened. I had my list and Michael had his." They also found a friend in board member Francis Ford Coppola. "He had some suggestions to offer, but he loves musicals and his input helped."
The film has been cut from 110 minutes to 88 minutes. Jones said the biggest cut was the elimination of the fathers' song "Plant A Radish." "In the show," he explained, "it's a device to get the father's back together after a change of seasons, but we don't have this change in the film, and the song rather intruded on the beat."
Fantasticks devotees will note other changes on film. El Gallo is still mysterious, but he comes to town with a 1920s carnival, and the boy, Matt, is an ardent silent movie fan instead of being enamored of poetry. The adventure begins when he runs away with the carnival.
Fans will also get big sound. Schmidt reported that, except for the cast album, which added a second piano, percussion, cello and bass, audiences are accustomed to hearing the score with only piano and harp. Not here. The film has a full orchestra, with lush orchestrations by Broadway veteran Jonathan Tunick. Among the familiar tunes are "Try To Remember," "I Can See It," "Much More," "They Were You" and "Soon It's Gonna Rain," which have become theatrical standards. Streisand made "Soon It's Gonna Rain" into a pop hit, and "Try To Remember" was recorded by numerous pop artists.
The Fantasticks received the Obie Award and a special 1992 Tony Award. Onstage, excluding Off Broadway, it has had more than 11,000 productions in more than in 2,000 cities and been seen by nine presidents. In addition to the record-breaking New York run, the show entered the history books in San Francisco (1964-1970), Denver (1968-73) and Los Angeles (1964-68). Internationally, there've been over 700 productions in 67 nations and a TV adaptation on NBC in 1964 for the Hallmark Hall of Fame. That buried treasure starred Ricardo Montalban as El Gallo, Susan Watson (the original Luisa in the musical's first inception at Barnard College; when auditions were held for Off Broadway, she got cast in Bye, Bye Birdie) and the-then unknown John Davidson as the girl and boy. Bert Lahr and Stanley Holloway were memorable as the fathers.
"It was, sadly, truncated to fifty minutes," noted Schmidt, "but television exposed millions to the show."
"And certainly contributed to our long run in New York," added Jones.
Still, on completion of the film, "MGM/UA didn't know what to make of it," reported Schmidt.
"There were some at the company who were enthusiastic," said Jones, "but the marketing folks were wary. They didn't know if it was a family film or fairy tale. I remember words like 'dark' and 'cynical' being bandied about. Their other argument was that movie musicals were box office poison. And to prove their point, they arranged a (1996) preview, without any publicity, in a Los Angeles multiplex. The Fantasticks is a unique, 60s brand of theatricality that is big on imagination and style, and this audience didn't know what to think."
In 1999, Jones and Schmidt were inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. The Show Goes On, a retrospective of Jones and Schmidt's work, which they did at the York Theater in 1998, has been recorded by DRG Records and played this summer at the Laguna Beach Playhouse. The team has resurrected a pre-Fantasticks musical, Roadside, a western, and are reworking it for a main-stage production at Irving, Texas' Lyric Stage for February 2001. It will star Julie Johnson (Das Barbecu, Candide).
Decca Broadway recently released a 40th Anniversary original cast CD, with the score remastered using digital technology. The 20-page booklet contains complete lyrics, notes by Jones, archival photos and art by Schmidt. Jerry Orbach is featured as El Gallo and Rita Gardner and Kenneth Nelson (later of Boys In The Band fame) are the girl and boy.
DRG has the CD of the 1993 Japanese tour cast, which includes dialogue and features Jones and, at the piano, Schmidt.
For tickets to The Fantasticks at the Sullivan Street Playhouse, call (212) 674-3838, Tuesday-Sunday, after 11 AM.
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