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Regional Reviews: Florida - West Coast The Fantasticks Also see Bill's review of Buddy The Buddy Holly Story
I had not seen the show in over 20 years until last year, when I saw a strongly reimagined version at freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg, which revealed details likely lost in more traditional productions. Still, I have been looking forward to The Players' more traditional version, which does not disappoint. Chip Fisher is narrator and anti-hero El Gallo. His singing and presence are strong; all that is lacking is the final layer of deep darkness that the very best exponents of the role bring. Often Matt and Luisa come off as bland. There is no danger here, both Eli Gilbert and Emma Devine have more than enough spunk, fine stage savvy, and plenty of voice to do justice to the strong vocal demands. Bellomy, her father and Hucklebee, his, are surefire roles with a showstopping number in each act and some nice comic moments from the script. In the hands of Bill Sarazen and Mark Eichorn, respectively, the vaudeville turns are in sure hands. I've seen Mr. Sarazen essay some nice supporting roles at this theater, so no major surprise how good he is. I'd not seen Mr. Eichorn in such a stand-out part, so the extent of his talent is a rich surprise. Bob Fahey as Henry, the old actor, is a comic hoot, and David Russell as his sidekick Mortimer, the man who dies, matches him, ham for ham, in the best possible way. Kay Siebold as The Mute aka The Wall brings a wistful presence, especially when tending to tidying up duties all over the stage. Because The Players Centre stage also hosts much larger musicals, director Michael Newton-Brown opens the show up a bit without disturbing its intimacy. Choreography by Charlie Logan is reasonably well executed, but I wouldn't say that dancing is the strong suit for most of this cast. Costume design by Georgina Willmott is simple and effective, Newton-Brown's set design draws from almost 60 years of performance history, and lighting by Michael Pasquini gets the job done. Projections by Jay Poppe are minimal and very effective when they can be properly seen, but they often get lost way in the background. Music direction by Alan Corey is lively, but instead of a second keyboard (Seth Wertz or Becky Heintz), bass (Chris Wiley) and percussion (Tony Martin), I so wish they had brought in a harp, as called for in the original scoring. For me, a very good production of The Fantasticks is a treat. Seeing it reminds me that the book is every bit as good and perfectly matched in style with one of musical theater's greatest scores. Anyone who may never have seen this gem, what are you waiting for? For those who have and perhaps are over due for a refresher course, the stars are nicely aligned. The Fantasticks runs through November 10, 2019, at The Players Centre for Performing Arts, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota FL. Box Office: 941-365-2494. For more information visit www.theplayers.org. Cast:
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