by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
St. Augustine's Limelight Theater opened its Christmas and New Year offering last weekend with Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's The Fantasticks. This charming musical is fantastic and will run through January 12th 2008 at the Joukowsky Foundation Center for the Performing Arts, at 11 Old Mission Ave.
This show, which has the honor of being the longest running musical in the world, opened in l960 and played until 2002. There was a total of 17,163 performances. The original cost of the show was $16,500 and the investors made 10,000% return on their money. Today $16,000 would not even get the lights turned on in the theatre.
The show did not open to good reviews and things looked bleak for even a short run but Barbra Streisand liked three of the songs and put them into her concerts and the show took off. In 2006 The Fantasticks reopened at the Snapple Theater Center and will probably now run another 40 years as it has become a New York tourist attraction.
The plot reads like a fable. It is the story of two fathers who decide to match-make their children, Matt and Luisa. They hire a professional abductor to kidnap Luisa so that Matt can play the hero and rescue her. The scheme seems to work but the course of true love never runs smoothly, as you will learn when you see the show. This musical's principal songs, 'Try to Remember,' 'Soon It's Gonna Rain,' and 'They Were You,' became hits and are still popular.
Director Beth Lambert and Musical Director Shelli Long have an outstanding cast for this revival. Don Runk is Bellomy, the girl's father. Mr. Runk is well known to Limelight audiences for a number of performances from his one-man show Mark Twain. Besides having a good voice, he also has excellent comic timing and gets the most out of every gesture he makes. Playing Huckabee is Patrick Waters. He plays the role with a sort of Forest Gump Southern accent and it was refreshing to see a new spin on this part. Mr. Waters and Mr. Runk make the perfect duo.
Alex Nordin, as Matt, looks like he should be modeling for a gentlemen's fashion magazine. Tall and handsome with sandy hair, he is picture perfect for the role. He is at his best when he sings solos. In his duets with Luisa, her robust voice tended to overpower him. With his talents and looks, Mr. Nordin will be much in demand and will do as much theater as he has time for as a student at Flagler College. Playing Luisa is Penny Endicott, a sophomore at Flo Arts in Palatka who is majoring in Musical Theater. She started singing at age four and she has had excellent vocal training. This part calls for her to be a giddy 16-year old at the start and become more tart and mature as she experiences the slings and arrows of romance. She makes the transition smoothly.
Have you ever heard of the expression that an actor owns a role? Yul Brynner in The King and I and Lee J. Cobb as Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman are two famous examples of actors "owning a role." Leonard Alterman owns the role of Henry, the old Shakespearean actor who assists with the abduction of Luisa. Alterman has perfected the mannerisms and gestures to milk this role for maximum humor.
One of my favorite roles is Mortimer, Henry's sidekick. I did this role in two productions, but I have to say, Alex Nunchuck's performance was far better than mine. He was funnier and I think he had a better costume. The pivotal role, in my opinion is El Gallo. He narrates the show, stages the abduction and sings some great numbers, including the signature song 'Try to Remember.' One of the most sought after musical theater performers in the North Florida area is Juan Unzueta and he is wonderful as El Gallo. He sings the music with such a rich and clear voice and he is always in command. Unzueta is the most sinister and tallest El Gallo I have ever seen, but he darn sure was the most fun to watch (fake moustache and all). Imposing a presence in every seen is The Mute, who is the on-stage prop master, providing things the actors need and doing it in complete silence. Depending on the night you attend you will either see Chris Martin or Caiti Wiggins performing this task with precision.
The Fantasticks is like an old pair of shoes. They are comfortable and reliable, so why change them? Well, even old shoes need a bit of a shine now and then and Director Beth Lambert has done some small and subtle things that made this show refreshing and new, even to me. Working with Technical Director Scott Ashley, Lambert has put in exciting lighting. You will see spots on one side for the moon and the other for the sun. Across the back of the stage are three bars of lights that display many different colors, depending on the mood. Using patterns in the spotlights, the actors often walk in the shadows of what appears to be leaves in a forest.
In addition, Ms. Lambert has changed the pronunciation of one word (yes, ONE word) and therein created a very humorous play on words. I am itching to tell you what it is, but that would spoil it for you. I do have two suggestions: First, have El Gallo ride in on a hobby horse, not a push broom, after all it was a first-class abduction. Second, please dirty up and tear up the shirt Matt wears in Act II, after returning from his trip wherein he was beaten and tortured in various ways, his shirt would be a little dirty.
After all these years The Fantasticks remains captivating and truly ageless. Call (904) 825-1164 for information reservations. Don't miss this classic.
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