The Fantasticks
book and lyrics by Tom Jones
music by Harvey Schmidt
directed by Sarah Roshan

Review by David Marlowe

I “tried to remember” when I had ever seen this good a production of “The Fantasticks,” and had to admit that director Sarah Roshan and her cast had surpassed all productions of all past “Septembers.” (Sorry!) The production now on view at The Vic is my favorite of all the productions of this show that I have seen thus far. Other shows have had a more polished look. Polished is not what this show needs. What a glossy production sacrifices is the charm and simplicity of what’s at the heart of the matter. This production is deliciously simple and thus right on target.

Sarah Roshan is to be lauded for her superb direction. Roshan’s casting is impeccable. Doug Rosen is outrageously funny, nearly stealing the show as Henry. His sensationally broad and brilliant performance gives the phrase “out of the box” a new meaning. His sidekick Mortimer, is played with brilliant panache by Nathan Bock. The lovers, Luisa (Kelly Twedt) and Matt, (David Alan Howell) have great voices, and mercifully keep them at a normal sounding pitch. (Some shows provide us with operatic sounding voices that dispel the magic and create the bloodless variety of musical theatre.) Here both are able to convey the innocence of young love and the subsequent dashed hopes at getting the world’s dose of reality therapy with clarity and simplicity.

Under Roshan’s directions one can’t help but hear the voices of Voltaire’s characters, Candide and Cunegonde just a hair’s breadth underneath Tom Jones’ text. And of course, all of Voltaire’s “garden” symbolism is already in place in the script. Austin Terrell’s El Gallo is musical theatre ice cream. Nils Swanson’s brilliant turn as the Mute speaks volumes with his facial expression and physiology. Matthew Kepler(Bellomy) and Jay Jakosky (Hucklebee) are both splendid as two fathers trying to get their children together by some well thought out reverse psychology. Seth Maisel does some fine work with the fight choreography.

Not to be missed.

David Marlowe
Primetime for Seniors News