Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s ‘The Fantasticks’ whispers sweet nothings

“The Fantasticks,” the world’s longest-running musical, opened Friday in the renovated Spencer Theatre at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. It’s a charming, if unchallenging tale, and the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s well-executed version should have a successful run.

The show, a self-conscious fable, tells the story of a boy and girl who fall in love. Or, more accurately, of The Boy (Zane Phillips) and The Girl (Emily Shackelford) who fall in love, lose each other, then (spoiler alert!) find love again. They are led down this bumpy road by a pair of scheming fathers, played by Gary Neal Johnson and Larry Marshall.

Despite constant allusions to Shakespeare, the story feels more like the “Fractured Fairy Tales” segment from the “Rocky and Bullwinkle” cartoons. There’s a penchant for fortune cookie philosophy and symbolism. True, the show has been extremely successful, but many successful things are not good. The Kardashians, for instance. Or The Fantasticks’ sugary songs.

Beyond the signature tune, “Try to Remember,” there’s little for all but the most ardent fan of musical theater to love. One song, “Plant a Radish,” compares the uncertainties of child-rearing with the reliability of raising vegetables. It’s a mildly amusing observation, but hardly worth a 5-minute song and dance.

Nevertheless, the show’s 60 years of success didn’t come from nowhere. There’s an enduring charm to “The Fantasticks” based precisely on it’s simplicity and naiveté.

The Kansas City Rep’s version, mercifully, is not the show as originally staged. The company wisely chose an updated version of “It Depends on What You Pay,” a song that toys with the dual meaning of the word “rape.” The casting choices also nod to modern sensibilities, with women and African-Americans cast in roles traditionally played by white men.

The production values were conservative and elemental. Typical of the Rep, virtually every choice worked.

The only truly questionable choice was staging the show in-the-round. Certainly, from the front of the house, having a section of the audience visible in the background worked as a metaphor, emphasizing the self-consciously theatrical nature of the show. One wonders if the effect worked as well for those seated on stage. More to the point, and at risk of being branded a Philistine, theater-in-the-round is always a bit precious. It’s disconcerting to have performers deliver lines while their backs are turned.

There are quibbles with the cast too, though none with The Girl. Shackleford, with the strongest singing voice on stage, portrayed just the right blend of innocence and cheekiness. She managed, as only teenage girls can, to be simultaneously vulnerable and self-involved.

Other characters, through no fault of the actors, weren’t as strong. Johnson, rightly beloved as Scrooge in the Rep’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol” was miscast. Talented as he is, Johnson was a dash crotchety, more like a grandfather than a dad. There’s also a potential for darkness in the show that was left largely untapped. Instead, everything was played for laughs.

These are small complaints, though, and a product of directorial choices, rather than the skill of the performers. Nitpicking aside, the show is well worth seeing. The first job of any theater company is to give the paying customers a good night out. This show will. The sentiments may be overly simple, but that’s why you like it. There’s a genuine comfort and quiet pleasure in the enduring relevance of old things.

This story was originally published March 27, 2016 at 11:24 AM with the headline "Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s ‘The Fantasticks’ whispers sweet nothings."