Thu 11/2 @ 7PM
The intimate little musical The Fantasticks, about two lovers and their meddling fathers, debuted off Broadway in 1960 and ran for 42 (!) years. With its small cast, its sweet story and its engaging tunes “Try to Remember,” “They Were You,” “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” “They Were You”) it became a big community and college theater favorite. My entire college career was marked by this play, which we mounted my sophomore year (as I recall, I was stage manager — I have never acted.)
However, even though this play has a permanent place in my own memory bank, the film version is so obscure I didn’t even know it existed until I got the email from The Musical Theater Project saying it was going to be the topic of their next Movies at Home discussion. I never even heard of most of the cast, other than Joe Grey, best known from Cabaret, as one of the fathers, and Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block as the male half of the young lovers duo.
As TMTP’s artistic director and leader of the discussion Bill Rudman writes, “The film version, released in 2000 after a five-year delay, ran, well, about a week in a smattering of theaters around the country, so if you don’t recall even hearing about it, you are not alone.”
He adds, “The film sharply divided critics: most loathed it, though some loved it. I’m unapologetically in the latter camp — but I can’t wait to see how you vote.”
Join Bill to learn the background of the film why it was made so many years after the play debuted, and what changes were made to accommodate film. First watch the film (it can be rented on YouTube.) Then join Bill and other movie musicals fans on Zoom to talk about it here. It’s free and open to all; you don’t need to register.
One Response to “Movies at Home Discussion Tackles Little Known Film of “The Fantasticks””
Martha
What time is the movie club discussion today about the Fabtasticks?