Did Critics Feel Nostalgic at The Fantasticks?

The Fantasticks, the Little Musical That Wouldn't Die, is back in New York at the new Snapple Theatre Center. The classic love story, which originally ran from 1960 to 2002 at the Sullivan Street Playhouse, features Burke Moses as El Gallo and composer Tom Jones billed as "Thomas Bruce" as the Old Actor, a role he also played 46 years ago. Were critics moved by the nostalgia of the longest-running musical in history?

Here's a sampling of what they had to say:

David Barbour in his Broadway.com Review: "In truth, this production isn't so much a revival as a continuation after a four-year pause. And, as directed by co-author Tom Jones, after Word Baker's original staging, it's light, fast on its feet and appealingly modest. If it could stand a drop or two more emotional engagement, if it's more respectable than inspired, it's surely fresher than it must have been during its last decade or so on Sullivan Street…Santino Fontana makes a strong impression as Matt, tenderly capturing the ardor of a young man for whom every emotion is a first-time experience. He also sings attractively, especially in the lovely "Metaphor," his declaration of love for Luisa. Jones billed, as he was in the original production, as "Thomas Bruce" is sheer delight as Henry, the old actor who helps kidnap Luisa. Whether he's mangling half a dozen Shakespearean speeches into a crazy quilt of a monologue, stealing applause at the end of a Matt-Luisa duet, or unconvincingly impersonating the Doge of Venice, he's a constantly welcome presence."

Ben Brantley of The New York Times: "Thomas Bruce, the old actor who plays the Old Actor, will clearly never see 70 again himself. And yet as his character preens over long past, probably shabby stage triumphs, his memory slipping gears, the Old Actor glows with the sort of gentle but insatiable passion for the theater that turns sawdust into gold dust. Unlike much of the rest of this production, he feels like the real thing…. Let me say that it is refreshing to find, on the edge of the Times Square theater district at Broadway and 50th, to be exact, a musical that uses no artificial amplification and no special effects that exceed the complexity of a cardboard moon."

Frank Scheck of The New York Post: "It's hard to mistake the air of cynicism that hangs over this revival, which—now playing the tackily named Snapple Theater Center in Times Square—has the inescapable feel of a tourist trap. Its new home doesn't help…. It still has its charms, especially the lovely musical score that includes that aforementioned lump-in-the-throat ballad. But this tale of two young lovers manipulated by their supposedly feuding fathers has a mustiness that would take a far more accomplished production to remove."

Steven Suskin of Variety: "Lyricist-librettist Jones has directed, after the original by the late Word Baker, but some changes are apparent. The tone seems somewhat more comic. El Gallo, the narrator and central character, appears to be more tongue-in-cheek; the young lover definitely seems much goofier; and the two itinerant actors might be far broader than before… But the magic remains, mostly. Highlighting it all is the aural pleasure of hearing Schmidt's music from strong, unamplified voices, accompanied by piano and embellished only by the delicious sound of that harp…. [Burke] Moses does very well; his "Try to Remember" is as evocative as one could wish… Author-director Tom Jones—under the nom-de-stage Thomas Bruce—re-creates his original cast performance as Henry, the faded Shakespearean actor. Has any other actor ever returned to the New York stage 46 years later, in the same role? Jones is a particular treat, performing with such relish you want to slather him with mustard… While another 42-year run is not in the cards, the new Fantasticks—with its charms and entertainment value intact—delivers very nicely."

Michael Kuchwara of The Associated Press: "The colorful confetti swirls gracefully on the small stage. The music, courtesy of one piano and a harp, soars sweetly. And the cast sings with a fervor that doesn't stop. Yet there's something quite stately—and a bit slow—about the first New York revival of The Fantasticks… A reverential blandness has crept into the proceedings of this classic loss-of-innocence tale… Schmidt's melodies remain as heartfelt as ever. From "Try to Remember," the show's best known tune, to "Soon It's Gonna Rain" to the haunting "They Were You," the songs are reminders of what makes this little musical so hypnotic. Jones' lyrics are equally accomplished. "Without a hurt the heart is hollow" sums up the show's theme in only a few words. Yet when the singing stops, the show's fragility becomes apparent."