The Fantasticks announces May closing

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 8:38am

Per Playbill.com: "The Off-Broadway revival of The Fantasticks, still the longest-running musical in world history and the longest-running play of any kind in American history, has announced that it will close in May."

More details to come, too.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/fantasticks-announces-may-closing-345121

[tazber]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 9:11am

Haven't they announced a closing before?

They always end up hanging in there.

[PJPan]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 9:14am

Well, I guess it's as good a time as any to finally see it.

[Wickedmonkey332]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 9:15am

I am so glad that I chose to see this show on my last trip to the city as it has always been on my bucket list!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 10:22am

What a bummer! I really adore this show.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 10:49am

Aw

[Kad]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 10:54am

They have had major financial issues. I'm surprised it didn't close sooner.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 11:09am

I love the show, but it was in pretty sad shape when I saw it a few years ago.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:04pm

the last time I saw this about a year ago there was roughly only 50-60 people in the audience. And this was on a Friday night. Granted it's very cheap to run, but I just don't think there's an audience for this show any more.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:19pm

Saw this show on a whim in 2011 without having heard the score or anything, and I completely fell in love with it. Glad that it's had a nice long run.

[YouDon'tClimbTrees?]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:07pm

This is a shame. Does anyone know if they're also closing "Perfect Crime?" If not, that would be ironic. #whatabunchofcrapolathatwas

[Patash]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:31pm

I'll never forget when I asked friends "How was A Perfect Crime?" They responded with a short review -- "It was one."

[Thparkaly]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:33pm

Updated On: 11/8/17 at 01:33 PM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 2:19pm

The Fantasticks is one of my favorites...I grew up on the score and I got to see Sara Jean Ford and Santino Fontana in the original cast of this production way back in 2006. It's a lovely, sweet little show.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 5:15pm

Isn't this kinda "cheating"? The original production closed in 2002 and I don't believe the current one opened until 2006...

[TorontoBroadwayFan]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 5:23pm

I'm sorry I've missed this one. Every time I come to NYC, I say I will catch it if I get a free spot in my show schedule. Now it looks like I can't say, next time!

[jnb9872]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 12:43am

Eric, they've been cheating with those numbers for years now. They have frequently touted themselves as the longest-running musical in the world or show in NYC, both of which are patently false but they can kinda fudge it and get away with it. They also celebrated some-thousandth performance of the show, a patently impossible number I forget now, by combining the runs of the two productions.

And Patash, that PERFECT CRIME review reminded me of my friends' own: "The only Perfect Crime is that people pay money to see that." Not as pithy as yours, but somehow I doubt your friends and mine are the same. Oh, that show...

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 12:57am

I definitely think they would like us to forget about those 4 years where it was closed. Yes, they've been cheating a bit. But I understand why they do. (a) I don't think the 2 productions are all that different from each other. (b) The gap that separated them is smaller than most gaps between originals and revivals. (c) I think it's fair-game to capitalize on how iconic the show is, which is due largely to the fact that it's been a constant presence in NY for decades (with the slight exception of 4 years in the middle-- but we don't have to talk about that :P )

When they celebrated 20,000 performances, it was the "20,000th Off-Broadway performance," which is technically accurate, and still impressive despite the glaring asterisk.