Photos: Fantasticks ‘Try to Remember’ at Launch

Industry guests got a sneak peek last night (21 April 2010) at the upcoming West End production of The Fantasticks, which opens on 9 June 2010 (previews from 24 May) at the Duchess Theatre, and has just started rehearsals this week.

The record-breaking Off-Broadway musical, which has been running for more than 42 years in New York, is being re-envisioned by Japanese collaborators – director and choreographer Amon Miyamoto and designer Rumi Matsui – and is performed by an all-British cast – Clive Rowe, David Burt, Hadley Fraser, Edward Petherbridge, Paul Hunter, Lorna Want, Luke Brady and Carl Au.

At yesterday’s launch, Nimax Theatres owner Nica Burns, who is co-producing, predicted that London audiences will be “enchanted” by the “Japanese sense and sensuality” brought to this “delightful and charming musical” performed by “a British musical cast who we all know and love”. The Fantasticks will also be the first production in the Duchess after renovations that include bar and toilet refurbishments. Following Burns’ introduction, two of the shows numbers were performed: Want sang “Much More” and Fraser sang the musical’s best-known song, “Try to Remember”.

TO SCROLL THROUGH ALL OF THE FANTASTICKS’ LAUNCH PHOTOS,
JUST CLICK ON THE "NEXT >" LINKS BELOW THE FOLLOWING FRAME.
PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

The plot of The Fantasticks focuses on Luisa (Want) and Matt (Brady), two teenagers who fall in love despite the feuding of their fathers, Hucklebee (Rowe) and Bellomy (Burt). However, the story isn’t just a Romeo and Juliet-style love affair: the fathers are secretly friends who have been plotting to make them fall in love all along! Once the paternal plan works, the parents must find a way of putting an end to their supposed disagreement without Luisa and Matt discovering the truth. Fraser acts as the omnipotent narrator El Gallo, with Petherbridge and Hunter as non-singing thespians and Au in the role of the mute.

The Fantasticks has music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It’s presented in the West End by Kumiko Yoshii for Gorgeous Entertainment, John Gore and Thomas B McGrath in association with Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer for Nimax Theatres.

** DON’T MISS our Whatsonstage.com Outing to THE FANTASTICKS on 2 June 2010 – inc FREE show poster & FREE drink at our EXCLUSIVE post-show reception with the cast, all for £29.50!! – on sale this week to Club members - click here for more info & to book now! **

- by Terri Paddock

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