Jan. 25: Steampunk tour of ‘The Fantasticks’ at WSU

PULLMAN, Wash. – Veteran theatrical touring company Nebraska Theatre Caravan will bring its steampunk-inspired adaptation of the legendary musical, “The Fantasticks,” to Washington State University’s Jones Theatre at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25.

“Try to Remember” a time when this romantic charmer – about a boy, a girl and their meddling fathers – wasn’t enchanting audiences around the world. Beyond its breathtaking poetry and theatrical sophistication is a purity and simplicity that transcends cultural barriers, making this timeless fable of love both nostalgic and universal.

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Photos courtesy of the Nebraska Theatre Caravan

Reserved seating costs $22 adults, $18 seniors and $11 students and youth. Tickets may be purchased in advance at all TicketsWest outlets, including online at http://www.ticketswest.com, by phone at 800-325-7328 and at the Beasley Coliseum box office, open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Additional fees apply to online and phone purchases.

Discounts are available to WSU Alumni Association members and groups of eight or more. Same-day tickets may be purchased at the Daggy Hall ticket office beginning two hours before the performance.

Director Carl Beck and costume designer Georgiann Regan’s steampunk adaptation promises an unparalleled experience, whether a viewer is revisiting this show or seeing it for the first time.

Of the steampunk, Beck said, “It’s not an intrusive concept. It seems like the allegoric quality can blend with the fantasy, giving it a quasi-period feel.”

Part of a 65-city national itinerary, the NTC’s production of “The Fantasticks” uses the Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt alternate version of the song, “It Depends on What You Pay,” making it appropriate for families and audience members of all ages.

Written by Jones and Schmidt, “The Fantasticks” opened off-Broadway in 1960 at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York City’s Greenwich Village, starring Jerry Orbach. After a record-breaking 17,162 performances it closed in January 2002, making it the world’s longest-running musical and continuously running production of any kind in the U.S.

In August 2006 the show was revived off-Broadway at the Jerry Orbach Theatre at the Snapple Theatre Center in Times Square.

The NTC was founded by Charles Jones in 1976 as the professional touring wing of the Omaha Playhouse. It has evolved into a national touring company with more than 90 fully mounted plays and musicals performed in more than 600 cities around the United States, Canada and Russia.

“The Fantasticks”is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International, New York.

For more information about WSU Performing Arts events, including a Jones Theatre seating chart, visit http://performingarts.wsu.edu.

 

Contact:

Gail Siegel, WSU Performing Arts, 509-335-8522, gsiegel@wsu.edu