Document text
44 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, January 19, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 10, 2003 Great music makes up for sappy story in ‘Fantasticks’ Life these days is far from slow and mellow, but try to remember "The Fantasticks" in your plans anyway. Those tender days of September are worth experiencing again. The Oregon Stage Works production, which opened Friday in Ashland’s Black Swan Theatre, is a faithful tribute to Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones’ award-winning musical about love and the loss of innocence. Director Doyne Mraz gives us a stirring rendition with strong performances and impeccable timing. It’s not hard to fathom why "Fantasticks" made the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running musical of all time (42 years, 17,162 performances in Greenwich Village — long enough for the starry-eyed lovers to have grandchildren). It’s the music. "Try to Remember," "Soon It’s Gonna Rain." Even if you’ve never seen the musical, you’ve heard these songs. With memorable lyrics and beautiful melodies, they’re the kind of songs that once they get in your head, they stay for a long time. The story, written in the 1950s, may seem dated, however. Two enemy neighbors forbid their children, 20-year-old Matt and 16-year-old Luisa, to see each other. So of course the kids fall in love, which is what the fathers intended all along. Advertisement The first act, set in moonlight, is steeped eyelids-deep in soupy romance. The second act’s harsh sunlight, however, reveals "what at night seems oh so scenic/May be cynic in the light." Knowledge and pain usurp innocence as the lovers venture outside their back yards. "What happened to you?" Luisa asks an injured Matt after his wanderings. "The world happened to me," he says. Sarah Mitchell is outstanding as Luisa, a fresh-faced girl in a Gunne Sax dress and pink ribbon searching for a hero. What a voice — sweet, crystal clear, right on the mark, from the lyrical "Much More" to the challenging "Round and Round." Jeremy Vik, a strong singer as well, demonstrates his versatility as an actor when he transforms naive Matt into a world- weary man finding his way back to his roots. Don Dolan (Tevye in Rogue Music Theatre’s "Fiddler on the Roof") and Daniel Stephens (also the choreographer) have a good old time playing the fathers, and their antics are a hoot. Both gardeners but with very different views on horticulture, the two scrabble among their turnips and kumquats using a watering can and pruning clippers as weapons. Stephens’ delightful choreography enhances every scene, from the rousing "Rape Song," in which the fathers plan Luisa’s "abduction" to make Matt look like a hero, to the swirling "Round and Round" in which the young lovers learn their lessons. Ah, the "Rape Song." "You can get the rape emphatic/You can get the rape polite./You can get the rape with Indians/A very charming sight." It’s all about rape as the "seize-and-take-away-by-force" definition, but you still find yourself squirming in your seat. Rape is nothing to laugh about, your conscience complains, and it detracts from the scene — a lighthearted attempt to elevate the poetic Matt to hero status. One can’t help imagining Schmidt and Jones at the piano, trying desperately to rhyme "abduction" or "kidnapping" and settling on the unfortunate "rape" just because it was easier. Music director Katherine Strohmaier, whom audiences will remember from Oregon Cabaret Theatre’s "My Way," is also the production’s pianist. She’s remarkable, changing effortlessly from the sweet "Metaphor" to the spirited "Never Say No" to the bluesy "I Can See It," all the while keeping the production’s pace at an even clip. Wrick Jones as Henry and Corey Christensen as Mortimer are hilarious as the traveling actors who just love dying scenes, and Don Matthews is a villain with a heart as El Gallo. Sophia Palosaari gives an admirable performance as the Mute, who’s essentially a prop manager on stage but with just enough personality to keep us checking her out just to see what she’s up to. "Fantasticks" continues through Dec. 31. Call 482-2334. Reach team leader Cathy Noah at 776-4473, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times