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Show Fantastic Drama Memorable, At Least For The First Half By DAVID BRISCOE "The Fantasticks" should have a happy ending literally, since the best part of the play comes before a musical number at the end of the first half called, appropriately, "Happy Ending." The second half, though, is not bad. But in comparison with the soaring subtleties and fantastic organization of the first half, the second loses itself in an old, but admittedly sound, love story a boy-girl version of the prodigal son. But that is the play itself. As for the University's production, it is fun, but not flawless, and slightly miscast. Nobody in the play is great. They all do a good, professional job, and at least the first half of the play carries itself. The music is rememberable and the smashing humor comes through on every line. Diane Hill as the girl is a perfect picture of childish bliss-sort bliss-sort of reminds you of the girl next door, which is exactly what she is in the play. But the boy next door is less convincing. The whole play seems to carry him along. Played by Lowell Murdock, he sings well but his voice does not have the young lover quality demanded by the role. He's appropriately childish, but not really boyish. John A. Nicolaysen and Marvin Sorensen, as the children's scheming fathers, play the most lucrative roles and, at least in the first half, give the best performances. In another production the semi-villain narrator might steal the show, but Zan Winn did not. His toned-down performance was excellent. He let the script put itself across. The mut, pantomimed by David Dean, was mute. What more can we say except that he was good at not getting in the way? Stanley Russon and Michael Sharp were funny, which is all they were supposed to be. It would be a disservice to expose the fantastic plot because it is so exciting to watch it unfold. Full of symbolism, dirty jokes and good music, with an undercurrent of an intelligent theme, "The Fantasticks" is worth it. |