Hackmatack 2017 Season Comes Full Circle

The last time Hackmatack Playhouse" presented "The Fantasticks," the barn had no stage, its current owner was barely out of childhood and no one had ever seen such a spectacular at one of Berwick 's oldest farms.

"After 45 years of requests, Hackmatack is bringing back the musical love story that brought the barn its first success in 1972," said Michael Guptill, 62, who now owns and runs The Playhouse that was started by his father. "It is exciting to be putting on this award-winning show again, but with a real stage and years of experience under our belt."

Guptill believes this fable of a boy, a girl, their two feuding fathers and a love that grows with each season, is the kind of story of falling in and out of love that always captures hearts. The last show of the 2017 summer season, "The Fanstaticks" will will run from three weekends starting Aug. 16.

The others shows of the season will be "She Loves Me," which will open June 16; "Buddy," the Buddy Holly story, opening July 5; and "Steel Magnolia," opening July 26.

"She Loves Me" is a romantic musical of mistaken identity, and covers the intimate and touching story of two perfume clerks who have no idea that they are in love with each other. It was written by the team that wrote "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Cabaret," lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and composer Jerry Bock.

"This show, with its endearing innocence and old world elegance is Hackmatack's summer Valentine for the audience," Guptill said.

"Buddy," the most successful rock and roll show of all time, follows Buddy Holly from his meteoric rise to fame to his untimely death. With drama, excitement and passion, its playlist includes "That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," "Johnny B Goode," "Chantilly Lace" and other rock and roll hits.

"Steel Magnolias" is the story of a group of gossipy southern ladies who meet at a small town beauty parlor. This hilarious and touching play is deeply revealing of everyone's need for family, friends and community.

The season will close with what is sure to be a sentimental journey, not just for Guptill, but for many folks who have loved "The Fantasticks" since it opened in Greenwich Village in 1960.

After 55 years more than 20,672 performances, "The Fantastics" was off-Broadway's longest-running musical when it closed in May 2015.

A decade after Hackmatack first showed "The Fantasticks" in the old cow barn, founder Carleton Guptill, Michael's father, decided to expand. An addition was added to the back, cement was added to form the floor, and the stage was expanded. These changes made room for the 218 seats that are there today.

For Guptill, producing the Fantasticks brings back memories of when his family first made the leap from farmers who sing, dance and amuse the community around them to professional producers and entertainers. His father Carleton, who died in 1994, made an appearance as the "Old Actor" in "The Fantasticks," that summer long ago. That began a long-standing family tradition of quoting from the song, "This Plum Is Too Ripe," a perfect phrase for a family that ran a farmstand.

"None of us was in this show, except my father, but the whole family loved it," Guptill said, "and I can't tell you how many times we told each other, 'This plum is too ripe. Sorrrrry."

Guptill has no intention of replicating his father's role on stage this summer, but he does indeed cherish his inheritance as host of one of Maine's most quintessentially Maine summer stock theaters.

"Producing 'The Fantasticks' all these years later reminds me how far we have come," he said, "and how many years Hackmatack has been putting on shows that make people sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, and always clap."

"She Loves Me" will be shown 8 pm June 16 and 17 and as well as June 21 to 24 and June 28 to July 1, with matinees at 2 pm Thursday June 22 and June 29. All other shows run Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8 pm, with matinees at 2 pm Thursdays. "Buddy" will be presented July 5 to 8, 12 to 15 and 19 to 22."Steel Magnolias" runs July 26 to 29; Aug 2 to 5 and Aug 9 to 12. "The Fantasticks" will run Aug. 16 to 19; Aug. 23 to 26 and Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. For tickets or more information, go to hackmatack.org or call 207-698-1807.

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