The Fantasticks

Music by Harvey Schmidt
Book and lyrics by Tom Jones

In celebration of the new Center for the Arts, the University of Redlands Theatre Arts Department presents The Fantasticks, by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Bridging both the visual arts and the performing arts, this new Center for the Arts catalyzes a creative synthesis on campus empowering the individual and collective imaginations of our students, faculty and community for generations to come.

The Theatre Arts Department's production of The Fantasticks inaugurates the intimate Frederick Loewe Theatre, a state of the art experimental black box theatre allowing the technical flexibility to present any style and type of theatre-proscenium, ¾ thrust, in the round, environmental, etc.

The Fantasticks is the world's longest running musical and this minimalist two-act musical is perfectly suited to the new facility and the production team assembled is an excellent example of theatre's role in a Liberal Arts setting--a curricular vessel containing all disciplines of study. For example, the creative team assembled for The Fantasticks includes theatre arts majors and non-majors, a Lossett Guest Artist, and regional guest artists, a U of R Alum who is the spouse of a U of R Board of Trustee, theatre faculty, art faculty, and math faculty. Already the creative synthesis begins!

Rejoicing in the simple things, The Fantasticks, is a beautiful fairy tale about love and growing up, reminding us that real happiness is hard won. In its purest form, The Fantasticks is a fable, whose unassuming style invites the audience to use the power of their own imaginations as they marvel at the show's romantic belief in the infallibility of love.

Based on Rostand's (author of Cyrano de Bergerac) Les Romanesques, The Fantasticks first premiered in 1959. Drawing on Rostand's Comédie Francaise roots and the newly emerging experimental theatre scene of the late 1950's and 1960's, The Fantasticks combined a hybrid of theatrical styles with pleasing melodies and the deep wisdom of an Aesop fable.

The Fantasticks has been translated into several languages and produced around the world. Many renowned actors have left their mark on its characters and songs-- Liza Minnelli, Ricardo Montleban, Murray F. Abraham, Donald Sutherland, Richard Chamberlain, Glenn Close, Harrison Ford, Robert Goulet, Jerry Orbach to name a few

March 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21, 2010
Frederick Loewe Black Box Theatre

Cast