Morehead Theatre Guild presents summer show “The Fantasticks”

The Morehead Theatre Guild is gearing up for its summer show “The Fantasticks,” a musical which, after opening in New York City in 1960, has been running ever since making it the longest running production of any kind in the history of New York City theatre. Director James Colgan, a Fleming County native, relates the show’s longevity to its appealing story, timeless music, and the fun, likable characters. “The lyrics and dialogue are very well written and, like the music and story, they too are timeless. I was charmed by it the first time I saw it in the mid-1970s and have been ever since. Mostly, it was because the music was good, the characters were interesting, the plot was simple, and it was staged on a single set, which seemed to me to be a stroke of brilliance,” Colgan added.

Along with their director, a pianist, and a harpist, the cast of eight have been working since early June to bring this show to the Rowan County Arts Center stage. “We have a great cast. First of all, we’ve got two really great young actors in Rachel Kazee and Elijah O’Connell playing the love interests—their voices simply make me smile every time I hear them sing!” Most of the cast are MTG veterans—Roger Fisher and David Gregory as the two scheming fathers, Mike Dobranski as El Gallo, the narrator and puppeteer of the events on stage, Drew Henderson as Henry the Old Actor, and Jeff Lewis as Mortimer the Indian who specializes in death scenes. “Their experience on our stage make them invaluable,” says Colgan. Playing the role of The Wall, which Colgan adds “ is much more involved than one would expect,” is Kamryn Black who, along with O’Connell, is new to the MTG stage.

“The Fantasticks” is funny and romantic, the delightful story of a boy, a girl, two fathers, and a wall. The narrator El Gallo asks us to use our imagination and follow him into a world of moonlight and magic. The boy and the girl fall in love, grow apart, and finally find their way back to each other after realizing the truth in El Gallo’s words “without a hurt, the heart is hollow”. Director Colgan adds that the famous score, which includes the classics Try to Remember, They Were You, and Soon It’s Gonna Rain, is as enduring as the story itself.

“The Fantasticks” will be performed at the Rowan County Arts Center two weekends -Aug. 5, 6, 7 and 12, 13, 14. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for all students; they can be purchased at the Rowan County Arts Center at 205 East Main Street in Morehead, or by calling 606-783-9857 and via email rcartscenter@gmail.com.