‘The Fantasticks’ opens at Raue Center Aug. 10
Submitted by Williams Street Repertory
Williams Street Repertory will start its second season with “The Fantasticks.” The show opens at Raue Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, and runs through Aug. 26.
Along with claiming the title of the longest running musical in history, “The Fantasticks” also is an American classic. This timeless story of neighboring widowers plotting to romantically unite their son and daughter by pretending to feud and forbidding the two children to associate with each other will be re-imagined for the small second stage by producing director T. Paul Lowry. The book and lyrics are written by Tom Jones with the music by Harvey Schmidt.
“T. Paul has put together an amazing vision for this show and we are thrilled that he continues his directing work with us,” said Richard Kuranda, artistic director. He spent 15 years working in New York City and Connecticut before coming to Raue Center. As the creative director of New Haven Theater Company, he created diverse programming ranging from Hispanic children’s theater to street performance art. Lowry also served as the associate producer at Long Wharf Theater producing and managing several shows. Lowry’s prior experience includes artistic, management and production experience at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre Company, and several New York commercial theater productions. Lowry is also the founder of the Hispanic Heritage Month at Raue Center.
The cast includes new Williams Street Repertory company members Matthias Austin (El Gallo), Dana Parker (Luisa), Evan Johnson (Matt), John McNally (The Mute/Magician), as well as some the audience may be familiar with including Frank Gaughan (Hucklebee), Paul Anderson (Bellomy), Amanda Flahive (Henry/Mute’s Assistant) and Kate Hein (Mortimer/Mute’s Assistant). Cast members recently got into character on Raue Center and WS Rep’s Fantasticks-themed float for the Lakeside Festival Fourth of July Parade.
The 2012-13 season will include the return of “The Rocky Horror Show” opening Oct. 19 as well as “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” opening Nov. 23, “Company” opening Feb. 1, “Short Stories and Tall Tales of the American Hero” opening April 13 and “Steel Magnolias” opening April 26.
Over the past year Raue Center has attracted regional and national attention as recently as a July article on their successful National Piano Conference with Huffington Post.
Tickets to “The Fantasticks” are $30 general admission. They can be purchased online at www.wsrep.org, www.rauecenter.org or via the box office at (815) 356-9212 or 26 N. Williams St. in downtown Crystal Lake.
Williams Street Repertory is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit production company in-house at Raue Center for the Arts. The theater company is dedicated to sustaining an artistic process of innovative and emotionally charged work, telling diverse stories with an ever growing company of well-respected local, regional and national artists. For additional information, visit wsrep.org, facebook.com/wsrep and twitter.com/wsrep.