LONGEST RUNNING MUSICAL “THE FANTASTICKS” IN OSKALOOSA
Fantasticks 2014 (submitted photo)
OSKALOOSA, IA — Each year, the George Daily Auditorium brings in one professional touring musical, and this year they are proud to present The Fantasticks on Tuesday, February 4th at 7:30 p.m. Talk about a time-proven audience-pleaser! “Try to Remember” a time when this charming, romantic musical wasn’t enchanting audiences around the world. Full of catchy, memorable songs, audiences will find themselves humming along to classics like “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “Try to Remember.”
A simple romantic comedy about a boy, a girl, their meddling fathers, and the wall that divides them, this musical is a timeless fable of love, purity, and simplicity that manages to be nostalgic and universal at the same time. It is a moving tale of young lovers who become disillusioned, only to discover a more mature, meaningful love.
The Fantasticks, written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, opened off-Broadway on May 3, 1960 and went on to play a record-breaking 17,162 performances. It closed on January 13, 2002, making it the world’s longest-running production of any kind in the United States.
The musical uses steampunk, a genre that combines historical clothing or jewelry with futuristic elements, to create a new experience.
“It’s classical simplicity,” said director Charles Beck of the steampunk concept. “It’s about a boy who is overly in love with a girl whose fathers are trying to keep them together by pulling them apart. Steampunk lends itself to this story by finding beauty among the broken pieces.”
This tour of the beloved musical will stop in Oskaloosa on Tuesday, February 4th as part of a 65-city national tour. The production utilizes an alternate version of a controversial song, making it appropriate for the whole family.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students. They are available from the George Daily Auditorium box office, online at www.georgedaily.org, or by calling 641-672-0799. The Fantasticks is sponsored by Musco Lighting.
