Exclusive Interview: José Rubén De León, Director of ‘The Fantastikos’ at the Classic

Opening Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Classic Theatre of San Antonio is a bilingual version of the legendary 1960 musical The Fantasticks, with music and lyrics by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. It’s the simple story of a Romeo and Juliet-style couple who fall in love against their fathers’ wishes. During its successful 42-year run (!) off-Broadway, The Fantasticks was made into a clunker of a movie, but that’s because director Michael Ritchie tried to make it too big.

The Fantasticks was always meant to be a super-intimate experience, and that’s what the Classic Theatre has done here. They even made it bilingual so that more audiences could enjoy it. Director José Rubén De León took the time to answer some questions about the show for ArtScene SA.

How is the bilingual aspect incorporated into the show?

The San Pedro Playhouse and Classic Theatre of San Antonio were granted special permission by Music Theatre International (MTI) to produce a bilingual version of The Fantasticks by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. MTI provided me a copy of an approved Spanish version by Julieta Kalik, an Argentine playwright know as La dama del musical, or The Lady of Musical Theatre. I used the original English script and a 2022 same-sex version written by Tom Jones for two young men as the lovers. The bilingual aspect is incorporated in the show in the song lyrics and the actors’ lines. For example, the opening song, ‘Try to Remember,” starts off with a verse sung in English, second one en español and then back to English for the final verse.

When the boy Matt is speaking to his mother Mildred Hucklebee and she asks him what he is doing standing beside the wall he responds: “I’m waiting for it to fall. Además, me gusta. I like it’s lovely texture, y sus hermosos ojitos.”  Luisa is heard on the other side of the wall saying to the audience: “Santo cielo, he’s clever!” Throughout the show there are lines that are spoken in one language and the response is in the opposite language. For example Matt says, “I love you” and Luisa’s response is “Yo tambíen te amo.” Or Luisa says “Esto es una locura, ¿no?” and Matt’s response is: “Yes, it’s absolutely mad!”

I am sensitive to the fact that we will have non-Spanish speakers in our audiences so I was very careful to make sure that I was honoring the authenticity of the meaning of the original show.

What do you think San Antonio audiences will think of this version? 

My hope is that San Antonio audiences will be open to experiencing a bilingual musical with local talent that reflects the Latino culture and traditions. The show’s costumes were inspired by the Mexican board game Lotería. The score by Harvey Schmidt is rich in Spanish flavors; a tango (“Never Say No”) and flamenco (“It Depends on What You Pay”). Schmidt once said that he and Jones wanted the musical to be sort of Latin in feeling but evoking a commedia underpinning at the same time. And our choreographer, Amanda Navar honors the Latin music elements in the score. So audiences will see movements and stylings that pay homage to  flamenco, tango, salsa and rumba.

Since the Cellar is such an intimate space, it’s perfect for such an intimate show, right?

Yes, the Cellar Theatre, now Classic Theatre of San Antonio, is perfect for this show. The audience will sit in the midst of a three quarter setting that brings them face-to-face with the performers. This thrust stage setting thrusts the actors’ stories into the corazón of the audience.

Did you need to overcome any challenges directing it?

Fortunately, I did not have to overcome any challenges directing it because I have many years of experience directing shows in intimate settings. I used to direct theatre productions for the Laredo Little Theatre in an arena theatre housed at the Laredo Community College. I enjoy staging theatre in the round because it is less stagnant than staging shows on a proscenium stage. One of my favorite shows that I directed in the round was Classic Theatre’s production of Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Úlitma at their former space on Fredricksburg Road.

Tell us a bit about the cast.

The cast consists of eight local Latino actors and this version has a female high school student playing The Mute/La muda and the parents in our production are played by women, like in the same-sex version. We were granted permission by MTI to do so and to also use the names of Mildred Hucklebee and Bessie Mae Bellomy. The cast members are bilingual and they range in age from 15 to 70. Their singing voices blends so beautifully in the intimate space. And together we have co-created the first bilingual play version and score of the longest running musical and the longest running show in American Theatre history.

The Fantastikos opens Sept. 12, and the first night is already sold out. Limited seats are available during the run, from Sept. 13 through Sept. 29. Go to the Classic’s website to purchase seats.

Feature photo courtesy Classic Theatre of San Antonio