The Fantasticks

I was  a graduating Senior at UCLA and had a hard time getting cast at school in anything..  I was a skilled dancer, sang very well, and had studied piano for over 10 years, but couldn’t get cast in any straight play or musicals.  I had spent time with the Musical Theatre ,Workshop on Saturdays run by Alan Gilbert throughout my four years at UCLA..  There I met John Rubinstein, Judy Kaye, Kimberly Farr, Richard Kuller and others.   One of our members, Bonnie Franklin had worked on a scene from THE FANTASTICKS.  I loved it and wanted to study it and so I did. 

Sometime after the first of the year (1969), I heard that there were auditions for the new Inner City Cultural Center Theatre and they were going to be doing THE FANTASTICKS.  I couldn’t believe it.  It would be a very diverse cast with Adoph Caesar playing the “Old Actor”, Conrad Parham, Jeannie Joe (“the Mute”), Alex Henteloff and others.  After putting together my first resume, I went down and auditioned for Lonnie Chapman and was cast!  I was in heaven.

Rehearsals were to start the next week!  I memorized the whole play in one night!.  I wanted to be ready. I already knew the score!  I was ready!

The audiences who attended during the day, were bussed in from the Los Angeles Inner City schools and many had NEVER seen a show onstage!  NEVER! They had been to movies, but not stage plays – ever.   It was a remarkable experience and my first LORT contract.