Review: The Fantasticks

Multiple magic tricks, two scheming fathers, one young couple trying to find a way to be together: Arena Stage’s, The Fantasticks is now playing at Lincoln theatre in D.C.
The Fantasticks, written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, first came to the stage in 1960 and enjoyed a 42 year run. The show tells the story of two neighbors; a boy and a girl. Their respective fathers want them to be married one day but realizing that teenagers tend to do something if it isn’t allowed, tell them they aren’t allowed to see each other. This makes the young pair want to see each other more. What results is a story about discovering who you are and realizing that perfection, sometimes, can be right in front of you the whole time.
The plot of The Fantasticks is an interesting one, the songs are catchy, and characters entertaining, but The Fantasticks isn’t quite as ‘fantastic’ as it has the potential to be. During the first act of the show, the energy was extremely low and it seemed as though the cast was just going through the motions of the performance. Even though the energy picked up during the second act, it was still not the level the show should have had.
Even though the show has a few kinks to work out, there were a few standout performances. The Mute, played by the talented Nate Dendy, gave a superior quality performance. Though he never said a word, his energy showed through his facial expressions and body language, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable performance. The two scheming fathers, played by Michael Stone Forrest and Jerome Lucas Harmann, also brought much needed energy and comedy to the show. While their voices may not have been as strong as the two leads; the energy in their performance and incredible comedic timing more than made up for this minor flaw.
The Fantasticks is truly a show that has stood the test of time. It has all the attributes of a hit production; Arena Stage just has to figure out how to tap into that potential.
2/5 stars