Phamaly Theatre Company to Bring THE FANTASTICKS to Japan

Phamaly Theatre Company has announced its first-ever international performance. In March 2015, actors from the Colorado based theatre company will perform the musical The Fantasticks in Osaka, Japan, and will also lead a series of acting workshops for the community during a ten-day stay.

Phamaly has been invited for this performance and exchange by the International Communication Center for Persons with Disabilities, also known as "Big i" located in Osaka, Japan. The facility was built as a place for international exchange and for cultural and artistic activities of the disabled. It contains a multi-purpose performance hall that can accommodate up to 1,500 people, plus study rooms and guest lodging, all with state-of-the-art accessibility features. The nickname "Big i" (representing a 'big self') stands for the first letter of the words independence, information, intercommunication, and international. The name was chosen in hopes of advancing global exchange and the independence of people with disabilities. http://www.big-i.jp/

Executive Director Christopher Silberman said of the Japan Tour, "We are beyond thrilled for this incredible opportunity. For Phamaly and our performers, being immersed in another culture and teaching and performing in that culture will be a life-long lasting experience that will enrich our perspectives on disability and the performing arts that we will bring back to Colorado, and it will build the self-confidence, artistic skills, and life skills of the performers involved. Our goal in Osaka is to connect with the community as we do in Colorado, inspiring individuals who have a physical or mental disability themselves to achieve their own goals they might not believe possible, and to further demonstrate the abilities of individuals with disabilities in order to promote an inclusive world."

The Fantasticks, by Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt, is the world's longest running musical - running for over 52 years in Manhattan. The Fantasticks is a hilarious and moving tale of two young lovers, their meddling fathers, and the wall that divides them. Phamaly will perform the show first at the Aurora Fox Arts Center in early February 2015, and then again at the Arvada Center in late February 2015, before touring to Japan in late March. The show will be directed by Phamaly's Associate Artistic Director, Bryce Alexander. Alexander says of the selection, "The Fantasticks serves as an excellent device for bridging our cultures as the production combines classic American musical theatre, Italian commedia dell'arte, and Japanese Noh theatrical traditions; while simultaneously connecting to the core concept that race, religion, disabilities, orientation, and gender - like the different theatrical forms - are not barriers, but different devices that help shape our common desires."

Now celebrating its 25th season, Phamaly is an award-winning Colorado based Theatre Company comprised entirely of performers with a wide variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. Phamaly's mission is to inspire people to re-envision disability through professional theatre.