When Broadway producers dream at night, one can perhaps imagine what sweeps through their thoughts: “A hit show!” It’s no surprise that some might envy the success enjoyed by The Fantasticks. It’s the only musical in U.S. history that can claim an Off-Broadway run of 42 years (not to mention the Off-Broadway revival, which ran from 2006-2017).
When it opened in 1960, The Fantasticks broke new ground on how to stage small musicals with minimal sets, cast and musicians. Its latest appearance in Milwaukee is at the Tenth Street Theater. Despite its age, the show is none the worse for wear. In fact, director Jane Flieller inserts numerous small touches to keep the show vibrant and engaging. The intimate playhouse is an ideal setting for bringing to life a tale that is loosely based on a play by Edmond Rostand (more commonly known for his work, Cyrano de Bergerac.) The small cast must double in some of the scenes, except for the two fathers (Chris Flieller, the company’s artistic director, and well-known actor Matt Daniels), their children, Matt (Keegan Siebken) and Louisa (Susan Wiedmeyer), and the all-knowing narrator, El Gallo (Andrew Varela). In Tandem audiences who saw one of the company’s recent productions, Carnival, may recall that both Siebken and Wiedmeyer were featured in that show, as well. They play wonderfully off each other. Ditto for the scheming fathers (Flieller and Matt Daniels), who’ve had plenty of previous shows to mine their comedy. In any case, director Jane Flieller is blessed with a dream cast that enchants from start to finish. Even one of the smaller roles, that of an elderly roving actor, is delightful in the hands Robert Spencer. He offers a sympathetic actor – far past his prime – who nonetheless rises to the occasion when hired by El Gallo for the abduction scene. It is noteworthy that Spencer played the son, Matt, in the original Off-Broadway production many years ago. The show’s plot is simple and timeless. Two scheming fathers erect a wall between their two yards and pretend to feud. Their goal is to match their son and daughter. Thye must wait until 16-year-old Luisa (Wiedemyer, playing a fresh-faced ingenue who reminds one of Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz”) pines for the attention of the slightly older Matt (played by a brash, lovesick Siebken). Things seem to be working out just as the fathers had hoped.
Unfortunately, El Gallo must interfere before the two lovers can learn to appreciate the other. Varela seems touchingly sad as he thrusts Matt into a world filled with suffering and unkindness.
Varela, an exceptionally strong singer, handles the chestnut “Try to Remember” with power and ease. The show is further propelled by other, well-known songs, such as “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “They Were You.” A two-piece orchestra (sometimes aided by “the Mute”) is splendid. Music direction is by Josh Robinson.
Lisa Schlenker’s set harks back to one of the original sets used for this production, which featured a traveling show. Although Schlenker’s set doesn’t have horse-drawn wagons, etc., she captures the same feeling by dressing the set with large, dark-wood trunks, odd-sized black boxes, wooden barrels, etc., all placed “randomly” around the painted wooden floor that serves as the stage. Although these props are relatively simple (as they are supposed to be), they suggest that the cast is about to embark on a journey, inviting the audience to come along with them.
For audiences who have seen a half-dozen productions of The Fantasticks over the years, or newcomers who’ve never even heard of the show, this is a “fantastic” opportunity to see an excellent production.
