PHOTOS: The Fantasticks

Reprise Theater Company's limited engagement of The Fantasticks is currently playing at UCLA's Freud Playhouse from now until May 17th. Below you will find photos from the show.

The Fantasticks stars Eric McCormack (TV's Will & Grace) as El Gallo, Lucas Grabeel (Disney's High School Musical franchise) as Matt, triple-time Tony nominee Harry Groener as Bellomy, and Alison Woods as Luisa. The production is directed by film, television, stage star and artistic director or Reprise Jason Alexander.

The Fantasticks is an allegorical story about two parents who put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love, because they know that children always do what their parents forbid.

Where: UCLA's Freud Playhouse, located on campus in Macgowan Hall

When: Performances run until May 17th. Schedule is Tuesdays through Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm, Sundays at 2pm & 7pm.

Tickets: Can be purchased at the UCLA Central Ticket Office (310) 825-2101 or online here. Tues-Thurs evenings are $70, Fri-Sun $75, Student/Senior rush tickets are $20 at the box office, available 15 minutes before showtime (subject to availability).

For more information on The Fantasticks and upcoming Reprise events, visit their website at www.reprise.org. 

Eric McCormack as "El Gallo"

Eric McCormack and Lucas Grabeel ("Matt")

Alison Woods ("Luisa") and Eric McCormack

Eileen T'Kaye ("Hucklebee"), Eric McCormack, and Harry Groener ("Bellomy")

Eric McCormack and Alison Woods

Lucas Grabeel and Alison Woods

Eric McCormack, Emmy Award winner for Will & Grace, Lucas Grabeel from High School Musical, and Broadway star and Tony nominee Harry Groener will be featured in Reprise's upcoming production of The Fantasticks at the Freud Playhouse May 5-May 17.  This is a limited engagement with only 16 performances!
 
With music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones, The Fantasticks is the world’s longest-running musical. Directing the show is artistic director of the Reprise Theatre Company Jason Alexander. 
 
Single tickets are now available for The Fantasticks online at www.reprise.org or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101.
 
Eric McCormack (El Gallo) is most known for playing Will Truman on Will & Grace and won an Emmy Award for the role.  He played Professor Harold Hill on Broadway in the Susan Stroman revival of The Music Man, and later played the part as part of the Hollywood Bowl Summer Concert series.  McCormack currently stars in the series Trust Me.   
 
Lucas Grabeel (Matt) has played Ryan Evans in the Disney High School Musical films. Lucas also played “Danny Nicoletta” in the Academy Award-winning film Milk, directed by Gus Van Sant.
 
Harry Groener’s (Bellomy) Broadway credits include Is There Life After High School?, Will Parker in Oklahoma! (Tony Award nomination, Theatre World Award), Munkustrap in Cats (Tony nomination), Georges/George in Sunday in the Park With George, and Bobby Child in Crazy for You (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations). Groener’s television appearances include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he was a regular on the series Dear John.
 
Jason Alexander is proud to be serving as Artistic Director for Reprise and is delighted to be working with its wonderful staff and Board of Directors. Jason is probably best known for his 9 year, award–winning stint as George Costanza on the hit TV series, Seinfeld. However, those who know him only as George will be surprised to learn of his extensive background as an actor, director, producer, and writer. His television credits also include: Bob Patterson (prod./co-creator); Listen Up (prod.); the TV films of Bye Bye Birdie, The Man Who Saved Christmas, Cinderella, and A Christmas Carol; guest appearances on Newhart, Friends, Monk, Star Trek-Voyager, Malcolm in the Middle, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and multiple episodes of the animated series Duckman, Aladdin, Dilbert, and Dinosaurs. His film credits include Pretty Woman; White Palace; North; Dunston Checks In; Love, Valor, Compassion; Rocky and Bullwinkle, Ira and Abby and the upcoming, Hachiko. Jason has starred on Broadway in the original companies of Merrily We Roll Along; The Rink; Broadway Bound; Accomplice; and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, for which he won the Tony, Outer Critics, and Drama Desk Awards as Best Actor in a Musical. He also authored the libretto of the show, which received the Tony Award for Best Musical. On the L.A. stage, Jason has starred in Give ‘Em Hell, Harry; Defiled; the long-running hit of The Producers with Martin Short and the very first Reprise production, Promises, Promises. Jason has directed in every medium: Television (Seinfeld, Remember WENN, Campus Ladies, Everybody Hates Chris); Film (For Better or Worse, Just Looking) and Stage (The God of Hell at the Geffen; Sunday In The Park With George and the newly adapted Damn Yankees at Reprise and countless benefits). About “The Fantasticks”

The Fantasticks tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two fathers who put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love, because they know that children always do what their parents forbid. Elements of the play are ultimately drawn from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, its story winding its way through Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and Rostand's play.
 
Since its inception in 1997, Reprise Theatre Company has been a focus of the Los Angeles musical theatre community, producing productions of great American musicals, and a wide variety off concerts, staged-readings, special events and outreach programs.  In May 2007, Jason Alexander became Artistic Director and he was joined by Susan Dietz, Producing Director.  

Theatre: The Freud Playhouse at UCLA (conveniently located in Macgowan Hall)

Dates: May 5 to May 17, 2009. Opening night is May 6
Tuesdays through Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm & 8:00pm,
Sundays at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
 
Tickets: UCLA Central Ticket Office:  (310) 825-2101               
May 5 (preview) $60.00; Opening night - $75.00;
Tuesday through Thursday Evenings - $70.00;
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, (all performances) - $75.00. 
Student/Senior rush $20, 15 minutes before showtime (subject to availability).