The Amazing Story of the Fantasticks: America's Longest Running Play (Hardcover)

by Donald C. Farber (Author), Robert Viagas (Author) "AN odd figure paced the lobby of the Minor Latham Theatre, glowing with the August 1959 heat in a pure white linen suit, fanning himself..." (more)
Key Phrases: second floor lounge, original cast album, prop box, New York, Sullivan Street, Word Baker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The Fantasticks is the quintessential off-Broadway production, operating with a low budget, sparse sets and small cast. Viagas, theater critic for the New Haven (Conn.) Register , and Farber, Fantasticks legal adviser, explore the show's history but provide no insight into its phenomenal success. They tell us of its thematic roots in an 1865 play by Edmund Rostand and of its 1960 opening at Manhattan's Sullivan Theater as a Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt musical. Jones, Schmidt and others developed the songs and characters more fully during the following 10 years, and The Fantasticks came to delight audiences worldwide. The play, which became a springboard for many careers, including those of Amadeus Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham and Broadway star Jerry Orbach, is now in the fourth decade of its run.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
The Fantasticks is an icon of American theater, just starting its 31st year of performance. Its longevity is partly due to its simple plot, its charming music, its theatrical conception, and the universality of its myth. This well-researched book recounts The Fantasticks 's genesis and performance history. This is not a typical Broadway melodrama of a rags-to-riches instant hit, but the story of a long and arduous growth from its model in Rostand through the college careers of its three central creators and innumerable influences that shaped its final form. Dedication, determination, oceans of talent, and heavy doses of love and luck all mark the journey. The warmth and insightfulness the authors bring to their work make this book readable and instructive.
- Thomas E. Luddy, Salem State Coll., Mass.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Carol Publishing Corporation (May 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806512148
• ISBN-13: 978-0806512143
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,224,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
  
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• In-Print Editions: Paperback  |  All Editions