Try to Remember: The Fantasticks documentary on DVD

Having recently seen a delightful production of The Fantasticks, I was glad when Netflix delivered to my door Try to Remember: The Fantasticks, an hour-long documentary about the phenomenal 42-year New York run of the show. The documentary was made in 2002, just as the show was closing.

I didn't realize that the original version of this show was produced in such a small theater on such a postage stamp-sized stage. The 50 seat theater where I recently saw the show actually had a larger playing area than the New York version. Perhaps scale is part of the charm of this show. Certainly the close connection between audience and performer must be part of the reason of the show's longevity. How often in a New York theater can you be within 20 feet of the stage for a musical?

This documentary offers a lot of talking heads interviews, and rightfully lets the show's creators Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones to do a lot of the talking. It also includes interviews with former cast members of the New York production, although I was disappointed that the only commentary by the late Jerry Orbach, who originated the role of El Gallo, was done at some sort of reception rather than in a traditional interview setting. While much is made of the fact that several famous people, including Liza Minnelli and Elliot Gould, have performed in productions of The Fantasticks, Orbach is the only actor familiar to most audiences who contributes to the documentary.

There is a lot of tape of the final New York performance; it is a challenge to feel the charm of the show from this, however, due to the poor technical aspects of this footage.

The Fantasticks--live performance at the Library Theatre at Feltre

I've seen about 10 live shows now during my Year of Thinking--several commercial Broadway tours, a community theater production, a high school production, and a couple shows at larger non-profit theater companies in Chicago--but I had not seen a show produced by a small company in town, and that is really the richest part of the theater community in Chicago.

Well, I fixed that oversight yesterday by seeing The Fantasticks in a small production by a company associated with an adult learning school. The theater is called the Library Theatre because the performance takes place in the school's library. A square room with bookshelves along the sides of the room, the theater configuration used for this production held about 40 people, there may have 30 at the performance I attended.

Given the scale of the production, it may be easy to think that you'll miss a lot from the physical production and have a second rate cast. Well, I'm pleased to say that neither of those assumptions were true in this production.

This production, as directed by Jason Harrington, cleverly and effectively used the small space, which was basically set up with two seating areas facing one another and the actor's playing area between them--like a tiny basketball court. During the scenes when characters were on opposite sides of the wall between the two families' yards, a fabric fence was erected right down the middle of the playing area. At times the actors stood on boxes so we could see both of them (one over the fence), but often we only saw the actor on our side of the fence, which made the point about the two young lovers being separated. The petite space meant that each actor could easily project their speaking and singing voices without strain and reminded me how wonderful it is to hear a show without electronic amplification.

The depth of actors in the Chicago area must be a boon for small companies like The Library Theatre. For this show, every part was cast with age-appropriate actors who had the skills and charms their roles required. This was particularly true of El Gallo; this is a difficult role that needs a charismatic, accomplished performer. Fortunately, one was available in the person of Jason Bowen who possessed all the swagger and sex-appeal needed for the role. He sang well, too. Everyone sang well, actually. I was particularly taken with the baritone of Kent Joseph as Huckabee, the father of Matt.

I was surprised by the poetry evident in the book of this show and the many literary references--particularly to Shakespeare. How had I missed that before? Probably from being turned off by over-amplified actors.

The Fantasticks
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics and book by Tom Jones
First opened in 1960
This production at the Library Theatre at Feltre has now closed
Cast: Jason Bowen, Trisha Hart Ditsworth, Ian Daniel McLaren, Kent Joseph, Michael A. Gavame, Andey Gwyn, Nathaniel Niemi

110 in the Shade Original Broadway Cast album

Inga Swenson is my new goddess!

You may always associate her (as I do) with the role of the autocratic, mouthy housekeeper on Benson, but Ms. Swenson is a woman with a past and that past includes some marvellous singing on the cast album of 110 in the Shade.

This was the Broadway debut score for songwriting team of Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. They were nominated for a Tony for their score. Ms. Swenson was also nominated for a Tony for her portrayal of Lizzie. All of them lost to Hello Dolly!--Ms. Swenson to Carol Channing and Schmidt and Jones to Jerry Herman.

I had heard the songs "A Man and a Women" and "Gonna Be Another Hot Day" before; I like those songs and was captivated by much of the score. Schmidt and Jones seem to have a real knack for creating tuneful and poetic songs that have a universality, but also speak to their characters' situation. Schmidt seems to like 3/4 time a lot, giving a lilting feel to much of the score. There is also some Copland-esque accompaniment from the orchestra, with open fourths and sixths, contributing to that American heartland feeling.

The cast includes Ms. Swenson (who had been Julie Andrew's understudy in Camelot), Stephen Douglass (who originated the role of Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees) and Robert Horton (a television star from the 50s and 60s). Also in the cast was a 17 year old Lesley Ann Warren (credited as Lesley Warren) in a supporting role with a comic duet number.

But let me wax poetic about Inga Swenson. Her voice has a Barbara Cook-like purity to it, with the ability to reach into the upper register wtihout getting either covered or tinny. She has a real legato supported by good breath control, giving her the ability to make the phrases of her songs truly musical. From "Love, Don't Turn Away", through the comic "Raunchy", the bravura end of Act I "Old Maid, and the effective "Simple Little Things" (pictured, with Robert Horton), Ms. Swenson does nothing that I could argue against or wish were better. Oh, yah, I'm supposed to really like good baritone singing, and there is some of that here, too, by Stephen Douglass and Robert Horton, but they pale in comparison to what Ms. Swenson achieves.

I listened to this album at the library, buy may need to buy it to add to my collection.

110 in the Shade
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics by Tom Jones
Book by N. Richard Nash, based on his play Rainmaker
Original Broadway Cast Album recorded in 1963
Cast: Inga Swenson, Stephen Douglass, Robert Horton, Lesley Ann Warren, Scooter Teague

The Fantasticks film on DVD

Well my musical education has truly been lacking, because I have never been in or seen a production of The Fantasticks. I knew the two most famous songs "Soon it's Gonna Rain" and "September", but that was about all.

This film version probably only gives a hint of how it must be on the stage. The production values are very high, which almost makes up for some very average singing. Again the duets/trio/quartets are the most fun, I think. Joey McIntyre and Jean Louisa Kelly portrays the young lovers. Since I live in a cave, I'd never actually heard New Kids on the Block, so didn't know Mr. McIntyre. The cave does have a television, so I recognize Ms. Kelly from some rather pedestrian sit-coms.

The DVD extras include longer versions of the songs, and the original Rape Song from the stage production which was watered-down for the film. It's a shame, because it's one of the few times that El Gallo Jonathon Morris comes alive in a musical number.

The Fantasticks
Music and Lyrics by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
Book by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
Released by United Artists in 1995
Cast: Jean Louisa Kelly, Joe McIntyre, Joel Grey, Barnard Hughes, Teller (without Penn), Jonathon Morris, Brad Sullivan