After Anonymous Donation, The Fantasticks Will Remain Open Off-Broadway

Thanks to two anonymous donors and longtime fans of The Fantasticks, the perennial off-Broadway musical will no longer close as scheduled. The production had previously announced that it would play its final performance on May 3 at the Snapple Theater Center.

The show, which has played off-Broadway since 1960 (with some hiatuses along the way,) has developed a loyal fan base that contacted the box office and producer Catherine Russell directly to voice their concern following the closing announcement. “I didn’t realize how many people love the show and feel like it’s an important part of their lives,” said Russell in a statement. “The Fantasticks truly is a treasured and iconic piece of NYC that should live on.”

Directed by Tom Jones, The Fantasticks has a book and lyrics by Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt. A modern twist on Romeo and Juliet, the musical tells the story of a boy and girl who fall in love and then quickly grow apart when they realize they want to experience the world. The Fantasticks features such songs as “Try to Remember,” “Much More,” “They Were You” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.”

The current cast of The Fantasticks includes Edward Watts as the Narrator (El Gallo), Daniel Berryman as The Boy (Matt), Samantha Bruce as The Girl (Luisa), Donald Corren as The Boy’s Father (Hucklebee), Joe Dellger as The Girl's Father (Bellomy), MacIntyre Dixon as The Old Actor (Henry), Michael Nostrand as The Man Who Dies (Mortimer) and Drew Siegla as The Mute, along with Dave Schoonover, Rita Markova and Tom Flagg.