#1
Posted: 5/3/10 at 3:33pm
50 years ago tonight THE FANTASTICKS opened at the Sullivan Street Playhouse to mostly negative notices and sparse audiences. The story of its initial reception and uphill struggle is now an off-Broadway legend. The original production ran 17,162 performances (the longest continuous run of record in the American Theatre) and closed when the Sullivan Street Theatre was closed. (An article about the property is linked below.)
The show has been done in theatres large and small all over the world. Audiences never seem to tire of the simple story, the imaginative staging, and the melodic score by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. (Three years later they would make their Broadway debut with another wonderful score for the somewhat under appreciated 110 IN THE SHADE.)
Decca Broadway remastered the original M-G-M cast album, and there is even better sound quality on the 2006 revival cast album from Ghostlight.
Tonight a special performance will mark the anniversary, but you can celebrate THE FANTASICKS anytime, and you no longer have to head way down to Sullivan Street: The Snapple Theatre Centre is right in the heart of the theatre district. The Jerry Orbach Theatre (named after the original El Gallo) is configured to closely mimic the Sullivan Street space, providing contemporary audiences with the opportunity to enjoy this intimate little show exactly the ways so many people experienced the original production fifty years ago.
181 Sullivan St.
The show has been done in theatres large and small all over the world. Audiences never seem to tire of the simple story, the imaginative staging, and the melodic score by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. (Three years later they would make their Broadway debut with another wonderful score for the somewhat under appreciated 110 IN THE SHADE.)
Decca Broadway remastered the original M-G-M cast album, and there is even better sound quality on the 2006 revival cast album from Ghostlight.
Tonight a special performance will mark the anniversary, but you can celebrate THE FANTASICKS anytime, and you no longer have to head way down to Sullivan Street: The Snapple Theatre Centre is right in the heart of the theatre district. The Jerry Orbach Theatre (named after the original El Gallo) is configured to closely mimic the Sullivan Street space, providing contemporary audiences with the opportunity to enjoy this intimate little show exactly the ways so many people experienced the original production fifty years ago.
181 Sullivan St.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
