Reimagined ‘The Fantasticks’ revival plans Broadway run

The longest-running musical in history for its two previous Off-Broadway runs, the show will make its Broadway debut with a gay love story at its center.

Summary

• A revival of the musical The Fantasticks will open on Broadway at a date to be announced
• The show tells the story of two young lovers through a gay lens
• The Fantasticks ran off Broadway for 42 years and is the world's longest-running musical
• Christopher Gattelli (Death Becomes Her) directs and choreographs

For the first time since its 1960 premiere, the long-running musical The Fantasticks is eyeing its Broadway debut, with exact performance dates to be announced.

Loosely adapted from Edmond Rostand’s 1894 play The Romancers, the musical originally told the story of two fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love with each other by pretending to feud. In this revival, however, the story unfolds through a gay lens, reimagining the lovers as Lewis and Matt, and the fathers as mothers.

The production features music by Harvey Schmidt and a revised book and lyrics by Tom Jones, who completed this reimagined Fantasticks before his death in 2023.

“I knew that to be done properly it would require a lot of rewriting, especially of lyrics," Jones told Playbill in 2022. "The more I thought about it, the more interesting it seemed. And when I actually began working on it, I became more and more enthusiastic. I had great fun doing it. I hope people have great fun viewing it.”

Though the show has never appeared on Broadway before, The Fantasticks has long been a fixture of New York theatre. The original Off-Broadway production ran for 42 years, from 1960-2002, making it the longest-running musical in the world. The production was awarded Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 1991. A 2006 Off-Broadway revival lasted an equally commendable 11 years, closing in 2017.

Additionally, the musical has played in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries.

Christopher Gattelli (Death Becomes Her, Newsies) will direct the Broadway premiere, with new orchestrations by Sam Davis and scenic design by Jason Sherwood.

Additional creative team members and casting will be announced in the coming months.

Check back for information on The Fantasticks tickets on New York Theatre Guide.