The fourth (and last) show of the 45th season of the Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick has opened with the musical, “The Fantasticks.” With book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, this show has captivated audiences since it’s debut in 1960.

The show tells the story of a boy, a girl, two fathers and a wall. The fathers pretend to feud and hatch a plot to make the children fall in love not knowing that they already are. There are eight characters, five or whom sing, two actors who do more than fill out the plot and also a mute who assists the actors on the stage.

The main character is one El Gallo (who doubles as the Narrator) capably sung and acted by Marcus Provost. At first I thought that the key for the well-known song ‘Try to Remember” was too low for his voice. (Be that as it may, he has a much larger range than I thought at first.) His best vocal effort along with the “Boy” tenor Will Lombard occurred  in the second act duet “I Can See It.” Both characters shone in this song.

The only female in the cast (the “Girl”) was capably played and sung by Mai Hartwich. She has a sweet lyric soprano, which while always accurate seemed to lack resonance, seemed that is until she unleashed a brilliant upper register as part of the song “Round and Round” also in the second act.

The plot of the show unfolds in the first act. We meet the fathers, learn of their plot, building a wall to keep their children apart. They then meet El Gallo (dressed in black with a red sash, perhaps to suggest the Devil) who puts them up to kidnapping the Boy to gain the Girls affection for him. The Abduction does not come cheap either but both parents agree to his terms. We are then introduced to an element of comic relief provided by Henry (Gary Locke) and his sidekick, Mortimer (Alex Paulson), who make their entrance from a trap door in front of the stage. While their dialogue often has little to do with the plot, they do provide a welcome change of pace. Readers: I normally compliment and acknowledge the efforts of the director and at times the lighting director. I must point out that both of these individuals, respectively Crystal Lisbon and Michael Turner have done an outstanding job in this show. Their efforts have magnified the singing and acting of the cast many times over. There is a happy ending at the end of the Act One, and one wonders why there is a need for a second act. The answer comes soon enough. The happy couple soon find the other has annoying flaws and the fathers start to quarrel.

Henry and Mortimer convince the Boy to seek pleasure elsewhere and he agrees to do so. Eventually he returns home and reconciles with the Girl. During each of the musical numbers the plot is advanced. However, there are two songs which can and should have a life or their own.  One is “Never Say No” and the other “Plant a Raddish” are both sung by the Fathers. The main function of the Mute (Ben Hanley) is to throw shredded circles of paper in the air or to hand props to the various characters. He does this with casual aplomb in each case. While all of the actors are believable and capable in their roles, I would single out Marcus Provost for the flair with which he delivers his lines. The musical end is handled with distinction by Adam MacDougall on the piano as is the percussion part by Laura Jordan. One humorous episode occurs when the “orchestra” is disbanded and MacDougall is seen walking off the stage! The song by which this show is best remembered by many “Try To Remember,” is sung at the beginning and also at the end of the show. I must compliment the singers for singing melodic lines that often are at odds with the accompaniment.

The show continues at Hackmatack with performances at 8 p.m. from Aug. 23-26; and Aug. 30 through Sept. 2.  There are matinee performances at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24 and 31 at 2PM.

To purchase tickets, contact 698-1807 or hackmatack.org.

If you have not seen this show, this is as good a performance as you are likely to see at these prices.

— Dr. Morton Gold is a composer/conductor, retired educator and an arts reviewer for the Journal tribune.