How Lucky are We? You're Here. ♥️
The Fantastic Fantasticks
Last week I revisited "The Fantasticks," the longest running musical in history, adeptly made into a film in 2005.
Having lived in NYC, I used to walk by the theater and see its sign, with its signature cursive, but like most New Yorkers, just kept walking. I was always just down the street from "Blue Man Group's" nascent run, long before its manifestation into juggernaut.
How surprised and delighted I was to see this film again as a real ADULT (last viewing 20 years ago) and I suggest, if you've finally grown up, too & you like musicals, do give it a go, or another one if you've before partaken (streaming on Tubi).
The Fantasticks, with its quiet wisdom and good naturedness; created with the old-fashioned perennial urge of compassionate philosophers who must uplift while reflecting on the fool-hardiness of humans with a kind eye, with understanding, with - beyond regard - an avuncular wistfulness at folly and human frailty. The Fantasticks delivers a deep resonant satisfaction largely absent from today's quick fix potato chip superficially created fare for your regular and endless consumption.
Jaundiced eyes poked out, loves all of its characters enough to allow them the latitude to grow without too great a cost of cruelty or degradation so usually accompanying such a tale in reality and most especially in depiction. The performances are spick and span spot on starting with Broadway great Joel Grey as the ingenue's well-meaning but too-interfering father. His point-device movements, his very core evokes a tightly coiled spring of energy ready to burst out in alacritous energy and too our delight, it does! His physicality is so specific unto him, so special, we are mightily blessed it has been captured on film.
So very funny is Grey's counterpoint, his fellow hombre patriarch who conspire together to get their kids in love, most especially to assure their beloved children remain with them, in the boonies, as they grow into old age.
Having lived in NYC, I used to walk by the theater and see its sign, with its signature cursive, but like most New Yorkers, just kept walking. I was always just down the street from "Blue Man Group's" nascent run, long before its manifestation into juggernaut.
How surprised and delighted I was to see this film again as a real ADULT (last viewing 20 years ago) and I suggest, if you've finally grown up, too & you like musicals, do give it a go, or another one if you've before partaken (streaming on Tubi).
The Fantasticks, with its quiet wisdom and good naturedness; created with the old-fashioned perennial urge of compassionate philosophers who must uplift while reflecting on the fool-hardiness of humans with a kind eye, with understanding, with - beyond regard - an avuncular wistfulness at folly and human frailty. The Fantasticks delivers a deep resonant satisfaction largely absent from today's quick fix potato chip superficially created fare for your regular and endless consumption.
Jaundiced eyes poked out, loves all of its characters enough to allow them the latitude to grow without too great a cost of cruelty or degradation so usually accompanying such a tale in reality and most especially in depiction. The performances are spick and span spot on starting with Broadway great Joel Grey as the ingenue's well-meaning but too-interfering father. His point-device movements, his very core evokes a tightly coiled spring of energy ready to burst out in alacritous energy and too our delight, it does! His physicality is so specific unto him, so special, we are mightily blessed it has been captured on film.
So very funny is Grey's counterpoint, his fellow hombre patriarch who conspire together to get their kids in love, most especially to assure their beloved children remain with them, in the boonies, as they grow into old age.
