“The Fantasticks” was a fantastic investment
The musical “The Fantasticks” is fifty years old, and the backers are still making money from what were originally very small stakes. “The Fantasticks” is a perennial favorite that’s easy to put on, requiring minimal sets and a small cast, but full of verve and fey charm—not to mention beautiful, beautiful music.
It holds a very warm and special place in my heart; I saw it as a child not too long after it opened, and remembered it always as a magical event. I’ve seen it many times since, and no matter how out of the way the venue or tiny the theater it has always been a joy (in fact, sometimes, the tinier the theater, the better).
Alas, I could find no videos of the original production. But here’s one that features the original cast recording of the most famous song of all from the musical, “Try to Remember,” sung by Jerry Orbach. Those of you who only knew him in his more elderly manifestation in “Law and Order” may not even realize that he starred in quite a few Broadway musicals in his earlier days. Some of the stills that accompany the song are from “The Fantasticks;” he’s the one wearing the black hat:
Fifty years is a long time. Try to remember.
I played Mortimer, the Cockney Indian in a production in college. My death scene was about 2 minutes long and consisted of wildly oscillating and flailing about, while acting in a–shall we say–”physically challenged” manner. One matinee was performed for residents of a local hospital for “disadvantaged” youth; their wheelchairs lined the front row. My death scene that day lasted about ten seconds.
“People used to cry out, ‘Die again, Mortimer! Die again!’ But of course, I never did.”
The first time I saw it, I was 17. It was staged in a small planetarium at a little museum. Very close quarters! I still remember the producer/star/director’s name as Chuck Vukin.
It was magical.
It still is.
stumbley: I loved Mortimer. In the production I saw so long ago, the guy who played him was a genius (probably the originator of the role, come to think of it). So was the Old Actor. Just thinking about them makes me chuckle, even today.
Thank you for that wonderful treat! I am a lover of Broadway musicals. It was the only music I listened to as a child (when I got to college and my roommate was s major Doobie Brothers fan, it was somewhat jarring!) And once I began to drive a car I was exposed to more pop on the radio — but none the less, my heart has remained with theatre music! No contest!
I also was involved very much involved in theatre production from the time I was 11 — one of the children in the local “Community Theatre on Miami Beach in production of the “King and I.” Though I loved performing, I was self-conscious because I really cannot sing. But throughout Jr. High, High School and College I think I took every job behind the stage, from prop master, set designer and painter, and my great love: costume design. There’s nothing like the familial collective spriit if producing a show between cast and crew alike, and set strike was always bittersweet: the end of one show, but the promise of the
next. Always planned to end up in Costume Design after getting started in clothing design — but one can’t always predict our future paths.
Though I never saw Jerry Orbach on Broadway (I don’t think — will have to check through my Playbills of which I have collected one from every single show I ever attended. It’s fun to see who went on to greater careers, and early when I moved to NYC, I had the joy of seeing some of my friends from college perform — even one who played the lead in Phantom of the opera for awhile!
Was greatly saddened at his sudden death just as he was going to be a lead in a new Dick Wolfson spin off from “Law and Order.” I’ve never noted anyone who could consistantly deliver cynical or sarcastic lines perfectly every time, even when he was no longer in song and dance shows.
Great treat, neo! Thanks
I had the record growing up — my mother loves Broadway — and “Much More” was an anthem of my adolescence, as it ought to be for every right-thinking, overly dreamy teenaged girl. The first time I saw the full production was in college, on a circular stage in a small theater with the audience gathered close around the perimeter. Perfect for the intimacy of the show. Since then I’ve seen it several times; my daughter was in it once, and our dentist sang Jerry Ohrbach’s role. Magic, every time.
I first saw “Fantasticks” 45 years ago, a touring company in a small theater-in-the-round. I was about 8 feet from Luisa, I think during the reprise of “I can see it”. As she sat there in silence, a tear appeared and rolled down the cheek of this actress who had played the part many times before. I have never seen acting that felt more real.
Best wishes,
Jim
I saw The Fantasticks in the eighties; I’m afraid I don’t remember who starred in it, or if they went on to later greatness.
I remember noting at the time, however, that the “Try To Remember” song had been sung by Ricardo Montalban when he had the role. (Does anybody remember him anymore?) For some reason, I found that astounding.
Jerry Orbach will indeed be very much missed. I tend to think of him as the uptight father in “Dirty Dancing”… and as the singing candlestick in “Beauty and the Beast”. Such versatility!
I had no idea! I had always assumed that Jerry Orbach was merely a character actor on Law & Order. What a great voice and talent.
Thanks for the eye-opening post.
I’ve never seen The Fantasticks, clearly something I need to remedy forthwith.
I read somewhere that when Orbach first went to H’wood, he couldn’t get jobs as a heavy because every one saw him as a “song and dance” man, which is how he started his career. Then he finally catches on in the “heavy” roles and none of us can easily picture him as a song and dance man. Fickle audience! But good for him that he found a way to make it work.
My first awareness of this other dimenison to Jerry Orbach was discovering he was the singing candlestick in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. His performance as the low-life underworld brother in “Crimes And Misdemeanors” is still my favorite performance, however.
I never miss a chance to brag about Texas or Texans. The two men who created “The Fantasticks” were Texans who attended the University of Texas at Austin. F. Murray Abraham, a Texan, starred in one production. 🙂
It’s a great show and long time NYC tradition.
Not too bad for a couple of good ole boys from a red as red can be state. 🙂
I also played Mortimer, though nowhere nearly as well as my father did. He did physical comedy very well.
I first saw The Fantasticks at the Sullivan Street Playhouse (its original venue) in 1985, but the most touching review I ever was written by Amy Gamerman (who first saw it on Sept 14, 2001 — three days after 9/11/01) and published in the Wall Street Journal. One excerpt from it —
Then the actors took their places and the Narrator stepped forward to deliver the show’s first song. “Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and oh-so-mellow,” he sang quietly. “Try to remember when life was so tender that no one wept except the willow.” A familiar old ballad was suddenly transformed into a plangent elegy for the innocence we had all lost. … By the end of the song, I was in tears. So was one of the actors.
I wish I could still find the whole review.
Being a September baby born just shy of the 50th anniversary of this musical, I can remember the song so well because my mother loved it so much and sang it all the time. I should celebrate my 50th by seeing it, sometime.
Neo:
Thank you for helping me to remember. I saw the play in the very early sixties an my sister’s suggestion, and played the record so many times I think I wore out several needles (remember what they were?) and the record itself. It is still a favorite musical and I still think fondly of Orbach, a real pro. F
I saw Jerry Orbach on Broadway in the early ’80’s in 42nd Street. I didn’t really know ‘who’ he was at the time, just knew he could sing and dance.
RickZ,
I also have fond memories of seeing Jerry Orbach perform the lead role in 42nd Street back in the early 1980s.
It was one of the first Broadway shows I had ever seen. Until his Law and Order days came along, I thought of him primarily as a song and dance man. Oh, and as Jennifer Grey’s dad in the immortal Dirty Dancing 🙂
CV,
I recognized the name ‘Jerry Orbach’ in the credits for FX, where Orbach played a gangster about to go into witness protection (and the whole reason for the movie, the special effects ‘hit’ on the gangster/Orbach to convince everyone he’s dead, and the plots twists that result from that action).
I played El Gallo in the off broadway production on Sullivan Street for 3 years during the 40th anniversay celebration. I have great memories and was sad when the original theatre closed. It was nice to be able to be on the same stage as Jerry Orbach and continue the role he started.