Hadley Fraser, David Burt, Clive Rowe To Star In THE FANTASTICKS

Up and coming stars Lorna Want and Luke Brady will play the young lovers in the new production of The Fantasticks. They will be joined by a hugely experienced and impressive cast which includes musical theatre favourites David Burt and Clive Rowe in the roles of the two fathers, as well as Edward Petherbridge and Paul Hunter who will play the roles of Henry and his sidekick Mortimer. The character of El Gallo around whom much of the twists and turns of the plot happen will be played by Hadley Fraser and finally the role of the mute will be played by Carl Au.
 
Directed by Amon Miyamoto, a new production of this much-loved musical will invigorate and illuminate the show with fresh visual, emotional and musical energy. Designer Rumi Matsui joins Miyamoto on The Fantasticks following their previous collaboration on the Broadway production of Pacific Overtures for which Matsui's work was Tony Award nominated. Lighting design will be provided by 2009 Tony Award winner Rick Fisher.
 
The Fantasticks tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighbouring fathers who put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love, because they know children always do what their parents forbid. After the children do fall in love, they discover their fathers' plot and each goes off and experience the world. Finally they return to each other and the love they had, having learned from the world to recognize their true feelings. Elements of the musical are drawn from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, its story winding its way through Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and Rostand's play. Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's classic score features titles including Much More, I Can See It and the instantly familiar Try To Remember.
 
The Fantasticks first played in New York nearly fifty years ago and has since become the longest running show of any kind in the United States and the longest running musical in the world. It has played in over 2000 cities and towns in the States, and internationally, it has been staged in 67 countries.

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