Harwood to stage a pandemic-adapted spring musical, ‘The Fantasticks’

March 20, 2021 | By Jenny Koppang | Community News Service

Official poster for the musical, ‘The Fantasticks’. Courtesy photo.

The pandemic has robbed teenagers of many core experiences of adolescence, but the theatre program at Harwood Union High School is determined to offer its students a sense of connection through their production of the musical “The Fantasticks” this spring. 

After pre-recorded auditions in mid-February and weeks of practice over Zoom, the cast was able to rehearse face-to-face for the first time last week. The show itself is planned as an in-person performance using a to-be-determined outdoor space, Thursday through Saturday, May 13-15, pandemic and weather allowing. 

Husband-and-wife duo, Scott and Stefanie Weigand, are the show’s director and music director, respectively. They said they meticulously settled on “The Fantasticks” because it would allow students to perform while still abiding by COVID-protocol.

“We chose this show specifically because it has a small cast and the set, costumes, and props are all very minimal. So it makes it easy to make sure things are clean and controlled,” Scott Weigand said. 

The cast and crew are now committed in the coming weeks to putting together a unique musical production that will require creativity and adaptations given the coronavirus pandemic.

Scott Weigand said the story choice took into consideration the plot and the technical aspects of producing the show. 

“The Fantasticks” is about two love-struck kids whose parents pretend to hate each other while secretly conspiring to get them together behind their backs. 

The show has the distinction of being the longest-running off-Broadway show ever. It opened at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York City on May 3, 1960 and closed 17,162 performances later on Jan. 13, 2002, earning it the entry as “World’s Longest Running Musical” in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Harwood junior Wanda Sullivan at the first in-person rehearsal for "The Fantasticks" recently. She is cast as the female lead, Luisa. Courtesy photo.

The story and lyrics were written by Tom Jones with music by composer Harvey Schmidt. Among the show’s other honors are an off-Broadway Obie Award and a 1992 Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre. 

While the first act is seemingly wrapped up with a happily-ever-after ending, the young lead characters get a dose of reality in Act II. “I think the kids will really be able to identify with these characters, especially with everything going on today,” Scott said. 

Harwood’s cast is composed of just eight students, and many of the scenes only involve two to three characters at a time. Scott said that they’ve had to get creative to adapt certain scenes to a six-foot-spaced world. 

“The blocking has to be done in a socially distanced way, so in a scene where the kids are supposed to fight or two of them fall in love and are supposed to kiss, we have to figure out how to make it happen in a different way,” he said.

Another challenge that COVID poses? Singing.  

“One of the more obvious challenges will be adapting and adjusting to singing with masks on,” Stefanie said. “It’s hard to hear each other and much more difficult to communicate.” 

They have also scaled back the orchestra – often a highlight of Harwood musical productions – that’s now composed of just a piano, harp, and drums. Stefanie said she is still weighing the pros and cons. 

“It’s sad in a way because the orchestra is always such a huge part of our productions, but this show allows for a different way of communicating with the cast,” she said. “I’m conducting from the piano and a smaller orchestra means I’m able to control a bit more and make adjustments on the fly.” 

The pair is currently seeking an outdoor venue within the school district to host the performance in front of a socially distanced live audience this spring. 

“Usually the show happens in April, but we pushed it back this year to May in the hopes that we’ll be able to do it in person, outside,” Scott said. “Our ultimate goals are to give these kids the experience of performing live theater and to have an audience be able to see it live.” 

The Weigands said they are committed, first and foremost, to providing their young cast and orchestra with the invaluable experience of performing. “So much has been given up and lost over the past 11 months, so if we are able to safely gather together and tell a story through this production then I think it will have been a success,” Stefanie said. 

The production will have special meaning for Weigand as she this week announced plans to take on a new musical role after this school year by joining the nonprofit Music-COMP organization as its director of education. The music composition mentoring program nurtures young musicians by matching them with professional mentors and provides teacher training and professional development.  

Community News Service is a collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.