Fantasticks Falls Short

The Fantasticks

book and lyrics by Tom Jones

music by Harvey Schmidt

directed by Mandy Silber

at the Leverett Old Library

through November 22

When the original production of The Fantasticks opened thirty-two years ago, reviewers used words like "charming" and "sweet" with "graceful, humorous" music to describe it. As the world's longest running off-Broadway hit, having opened May 1960, it outlived more than a few newspapers that gave it unfavorable reviews.

An enormously popular play, it has been performed for audiences across the 50 states and in numerous nations worldwide, from Mexico to Yugoslavia to Saudi Arabia.

Tom Jones' book and lyrics and Harvey Schmidt's music make The Fantasticks an engaging play with universal appeal. The story follows two neighboring mothers who for years have schemed to bring their children together in matrimony. Believing that children always do what's forbidden, they had built a wall between their properties and feigned a feud in order to "keep them apart."

When their parents eventually remove these artificial obstacles, the "Boy" (Jon Ebel) and "Girl" (Danielle Kwatinetz) find little substantial basis for their immature love. After learning more of life's painful lessons together, the graver and wiser lovers gain a truer appreciation of each other.

With no costume or set changes and few props, the minimalist nature of the The Fantasticks places a great burden on the cast. The script demands that the cast be multi-talented enough to sing, dance, and of course, act. Since the cast of the Leverett House production lacks the versatility to fulfill these exceptionally demanding roles, it appears at times as a painful endeavor to the audience.

Under the direction of Mandy Silber and choreographer Allison McDonell, The Fantasticks creates moments of pure delight and always evokes infectious energy; unfortunately, the erratic expression of talent sometimes detracts from this otherwise promising mood.

With his expressive eyebrows and resonant voice, J.C. Wolfgang Murad deftly guides the cast through his chosen plot. As his narrative partner, Emily Gardiner, a graceful, adorable Mute, complements his charismatic stage presence. Silber and McDonell effectively direct these characters to make full use of the performance area.

Two aging "Actors" (Phil Munger and John Morton), also help develop the plot, though they follow the narrator's directions only insofar as it promotes their own washed-up acting careers. With booming voices and theatrical flair, Munger and Morton easily steal the show. Their incredibly comical scenes provide reason enough to see the production.

On the downside are the two mothers (Leslie Yahia and Jill Weitzner) who charm us during musical numbers but appear awkward when not dancing. Though the play originally calls for middle-aged fathers in the roles of the conniving parents, the choice of actresses may have been less disturbing in this instance if the women acted as either men or as more feminine mothers. With gardening clothes, powdered hair, and hunched posture, the characters seem unusually old and androgynous: our curiosity about their gender serves to confuse, not entertain.

Though convincing acting compensates for occasional vocal weaknesses, McDonell's choreography seems slightly limited in order to maximize vocal potential. With the exception of Jonathan Ebel as the Boy, the main characters deliver inconsistent vocal performances. Songs whose lyrics imply lively dancing, therefore, often disappoint. When the Girl sighs "I'm so tired" at mid-song, one wonders why, since her singing was never coupled with strenuous movement.

The consistent musical accompaniment, under the direction of Randall Eng, gave the production a professional aura. Pianist David Stu, drummer Rob Zwiebach and harpist Irene Lusztig should be commended for sustaining the enthusiastic spirit of the play.

Although the cast occasionally falls short of realizing the play's potential, this production of The Fantasticks attests to the splendor of this timeless musical.