Anchored by Commanding Performances and Elegant Staging, The Wick’s Season-Opening The Fantasticks Gently Reminds Audiences Why Some Stories Never Age.

October 18th, 2025

The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton opens its 12th season with its production of The Fantasticks — a timeless fable of love, illusion, and coming of age. Under the direction of Carbonell Award winner Bruce Linser, the company delivers a production that remains faithful to the poetic simplicity and disarming honesty of the original more than 60 years ago.

Opening on May 3, 1960, and closing on January 13, 2002, The Fantasticks ran for 42 years and 17,162 performances, holding the record as the world’s longest-running musical. With music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones, it tells the deceptively simple tale of two neighboring widowers who stage a mock feud to trick their children — Luisa and Matt — into falling in love.

Their plan works until the pair must confront the realities of love beyond the moonlit fantasy. What begins as a fairy tale evolves into a meditation on innocence lost and love rediscovered, rendered through memorably beautiful songs such as “Try to Remember,” “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” and “Much More.”

Jesse Luttrell, as the handsome, enigmatic narrator El Gallo, anchors the production with a rich baritone voice and commanding stage presence. He smoothly guides the audience through the shifting tones of whimsy and wisdom that define the show.

Brooke DeBeer is a revelation as Luisa, and the show truly belongs to her. She is fully committed to the adolescent intensity of Luisa in love — in love with herself, with Matt, and with the world. Though her voice could be slightly more mature, it is sweet and true, and her acting — energized by the youthful exuberance of the character — is remarkable. Choreographer Ralph Maitzler wisely uses DeBeer’s dance training to enhance her performance, filling her moments onstage with grace and charm.

Gianni Saverio has a lovely voice and brings welcome bravado to Matt, though he lacks some of the unassuming innocence that makes the character the “tender and callow fellow” described in the lyrics.

Adding comedic lift throughout are Troy Stanley and Alan Goodman as the feuding fathers, turning bickering into an art form. Kevin Reilly and Darryl Willis bring broad vaudevillian flair as Henry and Mortimer, the aging actors who stage the lovers’ abduction; Reilly is especially funny in his rambling, semi-senile Shakespearean soliloquies. Matthew Connor Paszkiet, as the Mute, provides a calming presence, orchestrating the action with silent insight and humor.

The Fantasticks at the Wick. photo by Amy Pasquantoniof

The live on-stage accompaniment, led by musical director Bobby Peace and highlighted by Kay Kemper on harp, adds warmth that suits Schmidt’s lilting score. Ralph Maitzler’s choreography and Ted DeChatelet’s fight direction make strong use of the available space. The scenic design uses the stage effectively with lush vegetation, various boxes, and tiered levels, though the addition of an abandoned pickup truck in the background mars the timelessness of the piece.

At its core, The Fantasticks is a story about growing up — not only for the young lovers Matt and Luisa, but for anyone who has ever had to reconcile dreams with reality. With this heartfelt production, The Wick Theatre reaffirms its place as one of South Florida’s premier homes for classic musical theatre, and proves that some stories never lose their power to enchant.

Performances run October 9 through November 2, 2025, with matinees at 2 p.m. and evening shows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and pre-show dining are available at thewick.org or by calling 561-995-2333.