‘The Fantasticks’: Reimagined version is Broadway-bound

Classic musical reimagined as contemporary gay love story

NEW YORK—Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli directs and choreographs a new Fantasticks adaptation, completed by original author Tom Jones

A new Broadway adaptation of The Fantasticks is moving forward, reimagining the classic musical as a contemporary gay love story. Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies, Death Becomes Her) will direct and choreograph the production, which features a revised book and lyrics by original author Tom Jones, with music by Harvey Schmidt.

New version completed before original author’s death

Broadway & Beyond Theatricals, Daryl Roth, and True North Theatricals are producing the project. Jones completed the adaptation before his death in 2023, giving the long-running musical a new lens while preserving its original structure. The development process began in 2022 at Flint Repertory Theatre in Michigan and continued with subsequent productions at Provincetown Playhouse in Massachusetts and Coachella Valley Repertory in California.

In this updated Fantasticks, the central love story shifts from Matt and Luisa to Matt and Lewis. As a result, the musical’s familiar allegory of love, separation, and reconciliation unfolds through a gay perspective. At the same time, the story’s scheming fathers become mothers, reinforcing the production’s contemporary framing while keeping the narrative intact.

Reflecting on the adaptation in a 2022 interview with Playbill, Jones described the process as both demanding and rewarding. He emphasized that the new version required substantial lyric revisions, but added that the work renewed his enthusiasm for the material.

Show ran for 42 years

The Fantasticks premiered Off-Broadway in 1960 at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village. From there, it went on to run for 42 years and amassed 17,162 performances, making it the longest-running musical in the world. Over time, the show attracted a remarkable range of performers, including Liza Minnelli, Kristin Chenoweth, Megan Mullally, and Santino Fontana.

Equally important, the score helped secure the musical’s legacy. The ballad “Try to Remember” became a standard recorded by hundreds of artists, while songs such as “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “They Were You” continued to find new life through generations of performers.

The Broadway development also brings together a notable creative team. Sam Davis will provide new orchestrations, Jason Sherwood will design the scenic environment, and The Telsey Office will handle casting. DR Theatrical Management will oversee general management.

Producers have not yet announced casting, additional creative team members, or a production timeline. Venue details, opening dates, and ticket on-sale information also remain forthcoming.

StageZine will continue to follow developments on the project.

Courtesy of The Press Room.