The longest-running off-Broadway musical in history comes to Santa Monica as Ruskin Group Theatre presents "The Fantasticks" through Aug. 24, 2025.
Performances run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. The production features moonlight, magic and timeless romance in this multi-award-winning musical with an unforgettable score.
Director Elina de Santos, the first woman to receive the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Career Achievement in Directing, brings the story into the 21st century while preserving the original's wit, sensitivity and beauty. Her staging offers fresh insight with imaginative flair to the cherished classic about young love, growing pains and life's bittersweet beauty.
The cast features Rhett Hemingway as Matt and Sophie Pollono as Luisa in this tale that explores how love changes and deepens as lovers mature.
Stage and Cinema praised the production, calling it rare to see something so familiar feel fresh. The review highlighted Pollono's performance, describing her as "absolutely ready for the Great White Way" and noting her "sweet and unforced" soprano voice.
"As Luisa, she's vulnerable, sassy, and overflowing with more love than a Hallmark factory," the review stated, adding that no microphones are used in the intimate space.
Pollono can also be heard on the newly released studio cast album of "Jo – The Little Women Musical," where she performs alongside Laura Benanti and Christine Ebersole as Amy March. A West End production of that musical is reportedly in development.
The production reminds audiences why some plays remain eternally relevant and deeply moving, with modern Los Angeles audiences being reintroduced to this beautiful musical that proves the smallest stories can leave the biggest impressions.
The intimate staging allows audiences to experience the full impact of the performers' voices and the story's emotional depth without amplification.
Edited by SMDP Staff