The Amazing Story of the Fantasticks: America's Longest Running Play

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0806512148 ISBN 13: 9780806512143

Publisher: Citadel Pr, 1991

Recounts the origins of the show, describes the difficulties in casting and staging the original production, and suggests reasons for its longevity

About the Author:

Robert Viagas founded and managed Playbill.com, Theatre.com, and Broadway Television and is the editor of Playbill Books. He is the author or editor of fourteen books and lives in New York City.

From Library Journal:

The Fantasticks is an icon of American theater, just starting its 31st year of performance. Its longevity is partly due to its simple plot, its charming music, its theatrical conception, and the universality of its myth. This well-researched book recounts The Fantasticks 's genesis and performance history. This is not a typical Broadway melodrama of a rags-to-riches instant hit, but the story of a long and arduous growth from its model in Rostand through the college careers of its three central creators and innumerable influences that shaped its final form. Dedication, determination, oceans of talent, and heavy doses of love and luck all mark the journey. The warmth and insightfulness the authors bring to their work make this book readable and instructive.
- Thomas E. Luddy, Salem State Coll., Mass.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.