The Voice

Courtesy of Media Services

Fantasticks - (from left) Tracy Sutherland, Rayburn Ezell, David Brent Miller, Amanda Kilcrease, John Gladden and Jim Reeves.

   The Music Theater Workshop will present two performances of the Broadway musical ”The Fantasticks” April 7-8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

  The Music Theatre Workshop consistently practiced the longest running show in history. “The Fantasticks” first appeared on Broadway May 3, 1960, and continued to play 17,162 performances on the stage where it first began. Tom Jones wrote the play and Harvey Schmidt provided the music.

  The story focuses on a boy (Matt) and a girl (Luisa) who fall in love and out of love as they mature. The couple finds a more mature relationship develops as the two grow.

The characters of the story include:

• El Gallo and the narrator played by senior Jim Reeves of Monticello.
• Matt played by post-baccalaureate Brent Miller of Warren.
• Luisa played by junior Amanda Kilcrease of Crossett.
• Two fathers: Hucklebee, played by senior John Gladden of Monticello and Bellomy, played by Rayburn Ezell of White Hall.
• The Indian played by first-year student Jason Bowen of Lonoke.
• The Mute played by senior Tracy Sutherland of El Dorado.

   While serving as stage director, Music professor Kent Skinner also plays the old actor, Henry. Music professor Paul Becker directs the music, Chandrika Taylor provides costumes and Matt Strampe provides lighting.

   “The play has a lot of great songs, lots of humor, and the story is simple and profound. The fact that its run so long in the same theater would indicate that the audience over the years enjoy it and continue to be moved by it,” Skinner said.

     An opening reception featuring an exhibit of the sets, costumes and images from past music theater will be held April 7 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Media Services contributed to this article.