The Best Little Community Theater In Texas Presents the Longest Running Musical in the World: The Fantastics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 23, 2010 -- Leander Texas; February 23, 2010 --- Seen in over 11,000 productions in the half century since its spring of 1960 opening in New York’s Sullivan Street Playhouse, The Fantasticks is the most frequently staged musical in the world. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the play and in recognition of its Texas roots, the Way Off Broadway theater company in Williamson County, Texas plans an April 2010 revival of the modern classic – the longest running musical in the American theater.

So what does the Fantasticks have to do with Texas? Quite a bit, according to Barbara Schuler, the former professional actress who’s directing the Leander production. “Tom Jones, the Texan who wrote the book and lyrics, studied Theater at the University of Texas under B. Iden Payne, the venerated British Shakespearean actor and director who first joined the UT Drama Department in 1946.”

As Schuler recently explained, “In his 1990 history of the show, Jones describes an early French comedy called ‘Les Romaneques’ that Payne introduced to his M.F.A. Drama class at UT. In 1956 Jones and composer John Robb developed a more modern musical version of that show called ‘Joy Comes to Deadhorse’ staged as a Western with cowboys, Indians, and two feuding ranchers – one Latino, the other Anglo –well before ‘West Side Story’ was launched.”

“Deadhorse” established the basic plot and most of the characters found in the modern production: the young lovers, their parents, the old actor (based on B. Iden Payne, according to the Austin Circle of Theaters), an Indian, and El Gallo - as well as establishing the Latin tempo of much of the music ultimately created by Fantasticks composer Harvey Schmidt – like Jones, a UT Curtain Club alumnus.

Schuler said “It’s exciting to be working on this production - the first musical ever staged by the Way Off Broadway theater. We’ve got a great cast, a brilliant musical director, and world class props and costumes coming from The Theater Company in California.”

“We hope that those who have seen the show before will enjoy seeing it again – and that those who haven’t seen it will discover the magic that has made it such a success around the world!”

“The Fantasticks” will be staged at the Way Off Broadway Community Theater on Crystal Parkway in Leander on March 26 – April 11. For reservations and directions Visit the WoBCP website at
http://www.wobcp.org/Home/tabid/72/Default.aspx

About the Way Off Broadway Community Players
Founded in 1996, WOBCP is an all-volunteer, nonprofit corporation, located in Leander, Texas, dedicated to the establishment of a living arts theatre. Through this theatre, we hope to promote the educational, cultural, and literary growth of the city, county, and state.

CONTACT:
Barbara Schuler
bas1213@gmail.com
512-259-5190