The longest-running musical of all time has finally made it to Broadway. The Fantasticks, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s beloved account of young love as masterminded by two scheming fathers, opened Off-Broadway at the Sullivan Street Playhouse back in 1960 and enjoyed a run of more than 17,100 performances before closing in 2002. It has also been produced by professionals and amateurs in every U.S. state and dozens of other countries.
But the staging, soon to be in previews on October 22 at the Hayes Theater where it’s set to open November 16, offers a twist — courtesy of Mr. Jones, the librettist and lyricist. Before passing away in 2023, he reimagined the show for a contemporary audience. The tale of Matt and Luisa — or The Boy and The Girl, as they’re more simply addressed — has been amended to that of two young men, Matt and Lewis, respectively played by Maxim Chlumecky and Nathan Levy.
Moreover, those conniving dads who feign a feud in order to trick their children into falling for each other are now moms, and they’re played by two celebrated performers: Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles, who has been one of musical theater’s brightest stars since her breakout turn in the original production of Here Lies Love, is cast as Lewis’s mother, Bessie Mae Bellomy; and Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, who won kudos for her hilarious performances in Beetlejuice and the 2024 revival of Spamalot, portrays Matt’s mother, Mildred Huckabee.
Both Kritzer and Miles have ample opportunity to display their comedy chops in the new production. Under the direction and choreography of Christopher Gattelli — fresh from providing choreography for the Tony-winning Schmigadoon! — the show has retained the elements of commedia dell’arte that informed the original work.
Kritzer notes that for Jones, who was inspired by the Fellini film La Strada — Fantasticks is also, more generally, based on Edmond Rostand’s 1894 play Les Romanesques — the parents “were supposed to be like clowns.” To preserve Jones and Schimdt’s vision, a representative of their estate, Dan Sheehan, has been on board. “[Sheehan] really wants to keep their wishes alive, because Harvey wasn’t around when a lot of this got changed,” Kritzer notes. “He’s like a portal to the past, to history.”
For Miles, “It feels like this show is outside of time. And it’s such an honor to be part of this version that the world has again, which is now fully inclusive. Now we have versions with not just a boy and a girl but two boys, and not only dads but moms as well, and it’s so haunting and beautiful and clever.”
While minor tweaks and trims have been made to the score, the new Fantasticks retains its classic songs, among them “Try to Remember,” “They Were You,” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.” Another tune, “Plant a Radish,” in which their characters contrast growing “dependable” vegetables with the challenges of raising children, has become a source of great poignance for both actresses.
“The way it’s traditionally sung, the dads are supposed to be clownish,” Kritzer points out, “but when we first read them, it was so meaningful that we cried. … As a parent, you want to love your children and protect your children. But I think there’s a bigger story here, bigger than just parents and their children: It’s people. We can love people, but we can’t protect them. Life is complicated because we want to control the unknown, but we can’t.”
Miles notes, “The parents were written as a source of comedic relief, but bringing that style can sometimes feel counterintuitive. These moms, it can be a very emotional moment for them, so we have to tie that together in a way that’s true to the language and true to the spirit in which they were written, but also true emotionally.”
Kritzer adds that, for her, “Radish” seems “different with mothers and sons that it would be with fathers and a son or a daughter. I’m not a mom, but I know from my friends who are mothers, Ruthie included, that bringing a child into this world from your body, just like growing a vegetable, there’s something so beautiful about that we can bring to this production, because that is singular. Men can’t do that; women can.”
Miles says that while The Fantasticks “feels very simple,” its message is also profound: “The love that you give is also love you have to lose, and it should be unconditional. … The way that these mothers love their sons, we want them to have the perfect lives. That means them getting married, that means becoming part of each other’s families. But we should love them exactly as they are, and in order to do that, we have to let them get hurt, we have to let them make mistakes, we have to let them choose whether they want to come home. That’s really hard, and I think people will find that parts of this story really resonate in their own lives. It is truly universal.”
What will The Fantasticks on Broadway be about?
This groundbreaking new production of the beloved musical, The Fantasticks on Broadway is reimagined as a gay contemporary love story, redefining the show’s timeless romance.This re-envisioned Fantasticks features the central romantic pair—traditionally Matt and Luisa—now as Matt and Lewis, reinterpreting the story’s delicate allegory of love, longing, and reconciliation. The show’s original pair of fathers, who secretly orchestrate the clandestine love affair between their children, are now mothers. With the show’s heart, humor, and brilliant songs like “Try To Remember,” “They Were You,” and “I Can See It” in place, it’s the musical that proves love is universal – and always fantastic!
Who will be in the cast of The Fantasticks on Broadway?
The Fantasticks on Broadway cast will feature Maxim Chlumecky as Matt,Nathan Levy as Lewis, Zane Phillips as El Gallo, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Mildred Hucklebee, Ruthie Ann Miles as Bessie Mae Bellomy, David Patrick Kelly as Henry, Kevin Del Aguila as Mortimer, Ahmad Simmons as The Mute.
Who will be on the creative team of The Fantasticks on Broadway?
The Fantasticks on Broadway will be featuring Music by Harvey Schmidt, Book & Lyrics / Revised Book by Tom Jones, Director & Choreographer Christopher Gattelli, Scenic Design Jason Sherwood, Costume Design Linda Cho, Lighting Design Jen Schriever, Sound Design Nevin Steinberg, Music Supervision & Orchestrations Sam Davis, Music Direction Rick Hip-Flores.
Where can I get official tickets to The Fantasticks on Broadway?
Broadway Direct will always direct you to the official ticket source of The Fantasticks on Broadway. Tickets can be found here.
