One Weekend Only: "The Fantasticks"

A great show coming up this weekend (for one weekend only): The Fantasticks!

Here's the story from today's Herald-Dispatch:

The longest-running musical in the world is coming to Huntington for a special one weekend only engagement.

ARTS Resources for the Tri-State will present The Fantasticks at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, through Saturday, Aug. 13, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, in the ballroom of the Renaissance Center, 900 8th St., in Huntington. Tickets are $15.

A dinner and show ticket is available for the evening performances for $30. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 304-733-2787 by Wednesday, Aug. 10. The dinner will be an indoor picnic with pulled pork and all the trimmings.

The Fantasticks centers on Luisa and Matt, a young couple who are kept apart by their feuding fathers.

However, the quarrel between the fathers is actually a ruse to get Luisa and Matt together. And when the truth comes out, the lovers split up, only to discover they are truly meant to be together.

“It’s a very simple love story,” said Stephen Vance, the director. “It’s very funny. It has dramatic parts, but it is a comedy.”

The style of the show is also very simple, according to Vance, with the costumes and makeup being the most elaborate elements.

“That’s so the focus will be on the music and the performers,” he said.

The simple elements of the show allow for a more intimate feel to the production.

“There's not a lot of flash,” Vance said. “It's not about anything technical. A lot of the dialogue is directed right at the audience.

“The audience is brought in,” he added. “These people are living their lives and the audience just happens to drop by.”

Because this is such a cast-driven piece, Vance said it was very important to get the right people.

“One of my directors told me once that the number one job of a director is to cast well,” he said. “This is a great cast.”

The small cast is made up of Mike Murdock, Kristin Caviani, Owen Reynolds, Mark Near, Bil Neal, Dylan Clark, Erik Woods and Patrick Taylor. Tawny Burdine is the pianist.

“It’s as good of a cast as I’ve ever worked with,” Vance said.

But the centerpiece of the show, according to Vance, is the music.

“It’s pretty complex. It’s very detailed,” he said. “There’s no way I could sing what these guys are singing. I just try not to get in the way.”

The original off-broadway version of The Fantasticks ran for 42 years. Vance said that shows the production really has something that people like.

“It’s a very simple show,” he said. “But it has a charm that will draw people.”