The Fantasticks (1995)

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writers (WGA):

Tom Jones (play) and
Harvey Schmidt (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1995 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Try To Remember The First Time The Magic Happened.

Plot:

A mysterious fair come to a small community in the countryside, which could make real the illusions of two kids.

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Countryside | Film Within A Film | Abduction | Love

Cast

Joel Grey	...	Amos Babcock Bellamy
Barnard Hughes	...	Henry Albertson
Jean Louisa Kelly	...	Luisa Bellamy
Joey McIntyre	...	Matt Hucklebee (as Joe McIntyre)
Jonathon Morris	...	El Gallo
Brad Sullivan	...	Ben Hucklebee
Teller	...	Mortimer
Arturo Gil	...	The Bavarian Baby
Tony Cox	...	His Assistant (as Joe Anthony Cox)
Victoria Stevens	...	Jo Jo, The Chicken Lady
Trayne Thomas	...	Tattooed Man
Shaunery Stevens	...	Roustabout
Dyrk Ashton	...	Roustabout
Gregory Amato	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Lee Bell	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Celia Fushille-Burke	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Marjorie Grundvig	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Tiffany Heft	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Jennifer Jaffe	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Mark Anthony Lopez	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Julian Montaner	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Rika Onizuka	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
Joseph Woelfel	...	Smuin Ballet / SF Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anthony Abate	...	Swordsman
Lorin Becker	...	Sabine
Lisa Cassandra	...	The Electric Lady
Ben Caron	...	The Ventriloquist (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits (WGA)
Tom Jones		(play) and
Harvey Schmidt		(play)
Tom Jones		(screenplay) &
Harvey Schmidt		(screenplay)

Produced by
Tim Healey	....	associate producer
Terry Miller	....	associate producer
Linne Radmin	....	producer
Michael Ritchie	....	producer
Art Schaefer	....	executive producer (as Art Schaeffer)

Original Music by
Harvey Schmidt

Cinematography by
Fred Murphy

Film Editing by
William S. Scharf
Francis Ford Coppola		(uncredited)

Casting by
Richard Pagano		(as Rick Pagano)

Production Design by
Douglas W. Schmidt

Art Direction by
Edward L. Rubin		(as Ed Rubin)
Bryan Felty		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Alan Hicks

Costume Design by
Luke Reichle

Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup supervisor
Cherie	....	hair stylist (as Cherie Huffman)
Shirley Dolle	....	head hair stylist
Dennis Glas	....	makeup artist (as Dennis Glass)

Production Management
Kim Aubry	....	post-production supervisor
Art Schaefer	....	unit production manager (as Art Schaeffer)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Bamber	....	second assistant director
Franklyn Gottbetter	....	second second assistant director
Terry Miller	....	first assistant director
Mark Tobey	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Matt Aston	....	painter
Donna Cihak	....	set dresser
Jack Colmenero	....	swing
Bryan Duff	....	assistant property master
Craig Edelblut	....	lead set dresser
Star Fields	....	construction coordinator
Andrea Guy	....	set dresser
Dick Hansen	....	on-set dresser (as Richard Hansen)
Alan Hines	....	lead painter
John Horning	....	assistant props
Karri Mayo	....	art department coordinator
Robert 'Cass' McEntee	....	construction foreman
Garry McEvoy	....	painter
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master
Steve Sawhill	....	swing foreman
Tad Smalley	....	lead man
Kristen Spinning	....	painter
Kristen Spinning	....	stand-by painter
Dawn Swiderski	....	set designer
Abby Yaloff	....	swing (as Abby Rayve)

Sound Department
Mary Andrews	....	adr editor
Brian Best	....	adr assistant
Mary Blee	....	assistant sound editor
Neil Brody	....	additional re-recording mixer
Paul Coogan	....	cable
Ethan Derner	....	sound recordist
Gordon Ecker	....	supervising sound editor
Bruce Fortune	....	sound editor
Frank A. Fuller Jr.	....	foley supervisor
Tom Gerard	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Gertz	....	foley mixer
Pete Horner	....	sound recordist
Steve Mann	....	sound effects editor
Anthony Milch	....	sound editor
James Moriana	....	foley artist (as Jim Moriana)
Douglas Murray	....	adr recordist (as Douglas L. Murray)
Kim H. Ornitz	....	production sound mixer
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kim Secrist	....	sound editor
Shawn Sykora	....	sound editor
Gary A. Theard	....	boom operator (as Gary Anthony Theard)
Tim Tuchrello	....	assistant sound editor
Aaron D. Weisblatt	....	sound editor (as Aaron Weisblatt)
Bernard Weiser	....	sound editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist (as Jeff Wilhoit)
Richard E. Yawn	....	supervising sound editor
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr mixer (as Paul Zydel)

Special Effects by
Eric Roberts	....	special effects technican
Cliff Wenger	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Chris Brown	....	visual effects producer: Boss Film Studio
Don Hansard	....	projection scenes
Walter F. Hyneman	....	CG supervisor
Rachel Kelley	....	matte painter
Neil Krepela	....	visual effects supervisor
Ron Simonson	....	digital colorist
David A. Smith	....	digital artist

Stunts
Scott Leva	....	stunt double
Lori Lynn Ross	....	stunt player
Robin Shelby	....	stunts (as Robin Navlyt)
Chuck Waters	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Russell Caldwell	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Tim Collins	....	dolly grip
David Elmore	....	second assistant camera
Tammy Fouts	....	second assistant camera
Mark Gutterud	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Frederick Iannone	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Robert Kositchek	....	director of photography: second unit
Dickinson H. Luke	....	rigging chief lighting technician (as Dickinson Luke)
Darren Michaels	....	unit & specials photographer
Jason Newton	....	grip
Frank Perl	....	camera operator
Michael Starkey	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
R. Michael Stringer	....	best boy grip
Jon R. Tower	....	chief lighting technician
Paul Varrieur	....	director of photography: second unit
Kevin Wadowski	....	key grip
Randell L. Rowlett	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Thea McLean	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Teresa Binder	....	costumer
Blanca Garcia	....	key set costumer
Wingate Jones	....	costume supervisor
Birgitte Mann	....	assistant costume designer
Abram Waterhouse	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Andi Kasen Bergman	....	assistant editor (as Andi Kasen Bergman)
Phil Hetos	....	color timer
Melissa Kent	....	additional editor
Liza McDonald	....	assistant editor
Sharon McGeeney	....	negative cutter
Philip Pucci	....	first assistant editor
Eric Rigney	....	avid technician
Tara Timpone	....	first assistant editor
Dale Jones	....	avid technician (uncredited)

Music Department
Nick Archer	....	assistant conductor
Tim Boot	....	music recordist
Sabrina Buchanek	....	assistant music editor
Robert Hathaway	....	music editor
Joseph Magee	....	production music mixer
Seymour Red Press	....	music contractor (as Red Press)
Alan Silverman	....	music engineer
Jonathan Tunick	....	conductor
Jonathan Tunick	....	music adaptor
Jonathan Tunick	....	music arranger
John Moses	....	musician: clarinet (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Fritz Braden	....	transportation consultant
Martin Coblenz	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Paula Barrett-Barbier	....	script supervisor (as Paula Barrett)
Sidney Brammer	....	post production assistant
Shane Clark	....	assistant to director
Chip Fowler	....	production coordinator
Celeste Gose	....	production assistant
Larry Hand	....	accountant (as Laurence L. Hand)
Michael G. Kehoe	....	craft service company: Arizona/Los Angeles (as Michael Kehoe)
Gary Moglovkin	....	assistant accountant
Lore Noto	....	produced on the stage in New York by
Michael Smuin	....	choreographer
Jamy Ian Swiss	....	magic designer
James Velasquez	....	production assistant
Shalini Waran	....	production coordinator
Jimmy Zelinger	....	title designer (as Jimmy Zellinger)

Production Companies

• Michael Ritchie Productions
• Radmin Company, The
• Sullivan Street Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (2000) (USA)

Special Effects

• Boss Film Studios (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Clinton Recording Studios  music recorded at (as Clinton Studios)
• Katherine Moore & Associates  publicity
• Kehoe Brothers  craft service
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Unique Catering  catering

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for some bawdy carnival humor

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | USA:PG (certificate #33777)

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Michael Ritchie Productions

Trivia:

"El Gallo" is Spanish for "The Rooster"

Quotes:

El Gallo:There is a curious paradox that no one can explain: who understands the secrets of the reaping of the grain? Who understands why spring is born out of winter's laboring pain, or why we all must die a bit before we grow again?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Abduction Song

More Nays than Yays

People who experienced this intimate musical off-Broadway, and in local community theater productions around the country, will rightly be disappointed and even horrified by this film effort.

Gone is the magic, the delight, and the imagination of a creation designed for small spaces, interaction with audiences, scant scenery and loads of beautiful melodies and poetic charm.

They've taken a concept geared for a cabaret and ballooned into a huge overblown, literate production that comes off as strange and even weird. They've juxtaposed and cut great songs, and tried to make a small ensemble effort into a large Hollywood extravaganza.

I agree this is one misfire that simply should have stayed on the shelf and not released--just written off as a tax loss.