The Fantasticks

Upon my arrival to the ticket booth, I wasn't quite sure what musical I would be watching. Then I stumbled over The Fantasticks, which currently the number one with most off Broadway performances. It was first premiered in 1960, and it was able to have been going on since that long, something about had to be good. I wasn't quite clear what to expect, but just something different. The auditorium had, give or take, 200 seats. After settling down, I opened my program booklet for an overture about the musical. Book and lyrics were by Tom Jones. Music was by Harvey Schmidt. It was also directed by Tom Jones, and the original production stage was by Word Baker. The Fantasticks was about a boy (Matt) and a girl (Luisa) who are in love, but they are separated by a wall created by their fathers who can't stand each other. However, there is a twist. The fathers in fact don't hate each, but rather want their kids do get married. They are using reverse psychology to get them together. The fathers hire a El Gallo (bandit), to kidnap Luisa, and Matt can save her, causing the wall to fall, and the families to come together. The plan works perfectly, until the sun comes up, in where things start to go downhill. The fathers and the couples start to get annoyed with each other. This leads to Matt running away. El Gallo comforts Luisa while Matt is gone, and promises to take her and show her the real world. This is when Matt returns home, and El Gallo leaves. The musical opened up like any other, with all the cast on stage dancing, and us getting an idea of who they are. We get an idea of the background from the musical piece the narrator sings, "Try to Remember" This sets the mood, and gives us a better understanding about who the characters are, and about the feud between the fathers. The second piece, "Much More", gives us an idea about the Luisa. This piece reveals her characteristics, and that inner crazy she has. The piece after that, "Metaphor", tells us not much about