‘The Fantasticks’ Captures Magic Of The 1960 Classic
“The Fantasticks” Sunday, May 18, Spokane Civic Theatre
Is there a sweeter, simpler musical than “The Fantasticks”?
And could it be given a sweeter, simpler production than this one at the Spokane Civic Theatre?
Hardly. This spare, yet rich, production captures all of the magic, the innocence and the bittersweet emotion of this classic 1960 Tom Jones-Harvey Schmidt musical.
Director John G. Phillips, the executive director of the Civic, has given this production a timeless quality, exactly as the writers intended. The story unfurls on a small, wooden platform, with nothing more complicated than a banner, a wooden moon and a few sticks (the fanta-sticks?) for decoration.
It almost has an impromptu quality, as if a group of Renaissance players have gotten together to stage a little show on a springtime evening.
Yet this seeming simplicity is deceiving. Every glance, every turn of the head, every intonation has meaning. Even The Mute (played well by Kate Vander Wende) conveys important ideas and emotions, yet she doesn’t say a word.
The music, under the direction of Kendall Feeney, is absolutely first-rate. The Jones-Schmidt score is full of beautiful and bittersweet melodies (“Try to Remember”). Even under normal circumstances, these songs are packed with feeling; but with Feeney on the grand piano, hands and hair flying, it had even more feeling than usual.
The starring performance belongs to Kent Kimball, who is an ideal El Gallo. For one thing, he delivered a wonderful version of “Try to Remember” in a mellow (to use the song’s own word) baritone. He also cut a dashing figure in his cape, as he mock-seduces the young Luisa.
Kevin Kuban and Phil Mitchell were terrific as the two fathers, as they plotted their children’s love life with almost childish delight.
Colleen Evans and Kevin Partridge were all youthful innocence and puppy love as the girl, Luisa, and the boy, Matt. Partridge was particularly strong in the second act, when he becomes more worldly, yet inevitably sadder.
The comic relief was expertly provided by Nik Adams and Peter Hardie as Henry and Mortimer, the two hack actors in mock-Elizabethan and mock-Indian garb. Henry shows off his grand Shakespearean style (yet weak Shakespearean memory) while Mortimer twice demonstrates his talent for fine dying.
Phillips uses puppetry a few times throughout the show, most hilariously when Mortimer shows up with three other puppet-Indians attached to him in an attempt to impersonate a warrior band.
The story is essentially a fable about the way that love can survive infatuation, and grow into something deeper. I appreciate this show for that message, and I also appreciate it for showing the power of simplicity.
Yes, an elaborate spectacle can be thrilling and moving. But for lingering meaning and depth of emotion, give me a simple tale, simply told.
, DataTimes