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Two On The Aisle
Ventura County Reporter - September 1998
Classic Tale Takes Center Stage
THE FANTASTICKS
Book and lyrics by Tom Jones,
Music by Harvey Schmidt,
Directed By Kevin P. Kern and
John G. Khouri.
Presented by Walk In Time
Theatre, Inc. At the Moorpark
Playhouse, 45 E. High St.
Moorpark. Thru Sun., Sept. 20.
Curtain: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 3 & 8
p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. All seats $12.
529-1212
by Jim Spencer and
Shirley Lorraine
A young girl (Kristen Towers, cntr) is torn between reality
(Robert Towers and Rebecca Gessert, left) and an
adolescent fantasy (Kent Winfrey, right)
Live theater in Moorpark entered a new era
last weekend with the opening of The
Fantasticks at the Moorpark Playhouse. The
show is one of the most popular and longest
running musicals of all time. Since its
inaugural performance at New York's Sullivan
Street Playhouse in 1960, the Off-Broadway
musical has charmed audiences worldwide
with its haunting music and timeless tale. By
the start of its 25th year, there had been 8,228
productions throughout the United States, 15
national touring companies, and 453
presentations in 66 foreign countries.
The beauty of The Fantasticks is its simplicity.
The show is a commedia morality play staged
by a troupe of actors with a minimum of sets
and props. Its few costume pieces and props
are produced from an old trunk by a silent
character, The Mute (Jess Osier), who sets
the scenes, distributes the necessary
accouterments, and dresses the set through
physical imagery.
The play is about rebirth, a rebirth of beliefs,
understanding and of shedding old ideas to
embrace new ones as maturity presents the
inevitable obstacles. Told through parables
and metaphors, the story centers on Luisa
(Kristen Towers) and Matt (Kent Winfrey),
two adolescents whose budding love is being
outwardly discouraged by their apparently
feuding fathers (Dan Restuccio and Jim
Harlow), In reality, the wall erected between
their properties is designed, in a bit of reverse
psychology, to encourage their children to fall
in love. They also hire a bandit (Damian
Gravino) and a small band of actors (Robert
Towers and Rebecca Gessert) to stage an
abduction so Matt can rescue his love and
seem the hero.
In the moonlight, it all seems wondrous,
mysterious and alluring. By day, however,
flaws begin to emerge, shadows are cast, and
the sunshine is too bright for comfort.
The path to happiness is found to be
difficult and rife with disappointments as the
harsh light of reality temporarily blinds the
young lovers. Eventually the allure of the
adventure wears thin, and the story comes
full circle to end where it began. Such is life.












The cast and crew of The Fantasticks are
comprised of a mixture of familiar faces and
new talent. Sharing credit with John
Khouri, 1998 REP (Reporter Excellence in
Performance) Award recipient, Kevin P.
Kern has directed a production sure to
please patrons of all ages and levels of
sophistication. The players are accompanied
on the piano by Kevin Parcher, an
accomplished musician and composer, who
stepped in as musical director just days
before the opening performance and played
flawlessly.
Perhaps the most memorable role is that if
the story weaver, El Gallo. Damian
Gravino (a 1996 Rep Award recipient)
portrays the rogue with flair and humor. His
rich voice is especially outstanding in Try to
Remember and I Can See It . The young
lovers, Towers, who has a strong, trained
soprano voice, and
The beauty of The
Fantasticks is its
simplicity. The show is
a commedia morality
play staged by a
troupe of actors with a
minimum of sets and
props.
Windfrey both project the innocence and
exuberance of youth.
Comedy relief is provided in generous
quantities by the two fathers, Restuccio and
Harlow. Written to be the pantaloons, their
antics exemplify the perception adolescents
often have of their parents. Their two songs,
Never Say No and Plant a Radish are
delightful commentaries about the
contradictions posed by progeny.
A standout performance is given by Robert
Towers (Kristen's real life father) as Henry,
the Old Actor. A seasoned professional with
extensive credits, he is polished, unceasingly
creative and positively enchanting in his
portrayal of the bumbling, forgetful player
who has a misquote for every occasion.
The Fantasticks is presented on the stage of
the Moorpark Playhouse, formerly the home
of the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama &
Vaudeville Company. The facility is
experiencing a rebirth as it sheds the persona
of its former tenant even as its new resident
production company, the nonprofit Walk in
Time Theatre, Inc., explores fresh directions
in community entertainment with
broad-based appeal.
Linda Bredemann, Walk In Time Theatre's
executive producer and the dynamo behind
the entire project, is hopeful both this
production and the mixture of concerts,
plays and special events booked for this fall,
will encourage patrons to come to the
playhouse for a variety of entertainment
experiences.
The Fantasticks is a classic love story, with
memorable music, everyone should see at
least once. It can certainly be enjoyed many
times over. The limited run ends this
Sunday, Sept 20.