The Fantasticks

Sadly, the long-running Off-Broadway stage musical wasn't filmed with its original stars. This cut-down 1964 show for NBC gets it all wrong.

The pluses for this are terrific art and production design which is beautifully displayed by the cinematography of Fred Murphy but pretty pictures only go so far. The piece's other strong suit is a fine score with many lovely songs however they are compromised by being given to the two leads who have thin reedy voices without distinction or subtlety and the tunes suffer because of it.

Let's get the usual remarks out of the way:1. I saw "The Fantasticks" on Sullivan Street.

In regards to the last comment posted, the author could not be more wrong. I too was a fan of NKOTB in the nineties.

I have written about this Michael Ritchie fiasco under another name here. Anyone interested in seeing it and who has never seen it performed on stage, should skip this badly constructed movie.

I viewed a kinescope of this TV special in the Museum of TV & Radio. This production of 'The Fantasticks' is a Hallmark special, so -- like all of that breed -- it's impeccably well-done family viewing, and squeaky-clean.

This abridged version of "The Fantastics" has strong and weak aspects, but worth watching. I especially enjoyed Susan Watson as the "girl"; she acted and sung the part perfectly (the other Imdb reviewer is crazy to say she sings poorly !

A wonderfully cast and colorful film about the wickedness of the world and how, if we are not careful, we can lose not our innocence, which none of us has anyway, but our purity--our holiness. The villain who steps into the lives of the four peaceful people on the plain is at first hard to discern.

So far, I have seen more than five stage productions of "the Fantasticks" including one at the Sullivan Street Playhouse back in 1962; and I am going to see another one at the Snapple Theater Center (Jerry Orbach Theater) in New York. Yes, folks, as of this date "The Fantasticks" is still playing.