'The Fantasticks’ fame Tom Jones passes away at 95
Tom Jones, who is the writer of the book and lyrics for the musical "The Fantasticks," died on Friday at his residence in Sharon, Connecticut. His age was 95. According to Jones' son Michael, the cause of the death was cancer, as reported by The New York Times.
Jones and the late composer Harvey Schmidt collaborated to create the musical «The Fantasticks,» which debuted in 1960 in Greenwich Village and remained off-Broadway for an incredible 42 years. The musical is also known for its opening song, «Try to Remember.» Born on February 17, 1928, in Littlefield, Texas, Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he met his frequent collaborator Schmidt. After serving in the Korean War, Jones relocated to New York and initiated his theater journey by writing for the productions staged by Julius Monk.
He also collaborated with composer John Donald Robb, resulting in the creation of a musical western loosely inspired by Edmond Rostand's 1894 play «Les Romanesques,» titled «Joy Comes to Deadhorse.» However, creative differences forced Jones to team up with Schmidt. In 1959, Jones and Schmidt presented a shorter version of their show, named «The Fantasticks,» at a summer festival held at Barnard College. Following its expansion to two acts, the musical debuted at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village on May 3, 1960.
Jones played the role of Henry, the Old Actor, and Jerry Orbach portrayed El Gallo, who was the narrator. Despite receiving mixed reviews, «The Fantasticks» enjoyed an enduring run at Sullivan Street, totaling over 17,000 performances until 2002, making it the longest-running musical in U.S. history.
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