Soulpepper Presents The Fantasticks, Previews 2/8

Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today announced that the company's production of The Fantasticks, part of the Soulpepper Family Series, will preview on February 8, 2011 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Fantasticks, besides boasting an uninterrupted run of 17,162 performances Off-Broadway from May 1960 to January 2002, is an uplifting, touching and hilarious love story about forbidden love between the children of feuding neighbours with a delightful twist: in order to fall in love, one must first be torn apart.

Soulpepper Founding Member Joseph Zeigler follows up his critically acclaimed turn as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman and Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by directing The Fantasticks. The Fantasticks will be choreographed by Tim French with Musical Direction by Paul Sportelli. The stellar cast includes Albert Schultz as El Gallo, Krystin Pellerin and Jeff Lillico as the two young lovers, Founding members William Webster and Michael Hanrahan as the fathers, Derek Boyes as the mute and Oliver Dennis & Michael Simpson as the actors.

The Fantasticks previews February 8, 2011 and opens February 14, 2011 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 55 Mill Street, Building 49, in the Distillery Historic District. Tickets range from $28 - $60 (plus HST) and are available by calling the Young Centre box office at 416.866.8666 or by visiting www.soulpepper.ca. $22 tickets are available for 21-30 year-olds at www.stageplay.ca. StagePlay is sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group.

The Fantasticks is generously supported by Gretchen & Donald Ross. 2011 Soulpepper Lead Sponsors are: Sun Life Financial, Scotiabank Group and TELUS. Soulpepper gratefully acknowledges annual operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.

Soulpepper Theatre Company is an artist-founded, classical repertory theatre company with a three-tiered mandate: to present the world's greatest stories in vital Canadian interpretations; to train a new generation of theatre artists; and to inspire and enrich youth through mentorship and access programs.