Washington Does a "Fantasticks" Production

ouble casting means two of virtually everything... except the chorus, of course. This provides ample opportunity for the many talented players a director like Dorothy Gibbs has available, and that makes a lot of appreciative parents even more appreciative. As you might suspect, it becomes twice the work for the directors, makeup artists, costumers, script coordinators, and nearly everyone else behind the scenes. It's all worth it, of course. Combine this abundance of talent with one of the best auditorium theaters in the district, a long and illustrious legacy of great musical moments on the Washington stage, and sold out houses for every performance, and that spells success in anyone's play program. There were approximately 200 students involved in this production of The Fantasticks. Add to this gigantic cast the countless parent and teacher volunteers, and, well, that's a lot of pizza.

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We've prepared a short video highlight reel of the company's last dress rehearsal less than a week before their premier. It gives us full access to the auditorium to do photography without disturbing audience members. Often during such rehearsals, little last minute bugs are worked out of the production. One of those bugs was El Gallo's mustache which kept coming loose. A makeup technician came to the rescue while the production continued. El Gallo moved with grace and dignity to the edge of the stage where adhesive was waiting. He was administered to with expertise resembling that of a collector mounting a butterfly specimen, and El Gallo never lost a beat. Watch for it in the video clip.

The extremely talented orchestra is in the pit, makeup is nothing short of extraordinary, and the set is expertly painted and lighted. Enjoy this 10 minute Musical Moment. If you would like to know how to view our many video and audio clips on your computer, the instructions and links to software are below.