COURTESY BRAD GODA Buz Tennent, left, stars as El Gallo and Chesley Cannon is The Mute in Diamond Head Theatre's "The Fantasticks."

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Tennent stands tall
in ‘Fantasticks’

What are we to make of "The Fantasticks" in 2005? The story is bare and for the most part a trite comedy that verges on farce, but the writing is rich and thought-provoking. As directed by Eden-Lee Murray, and dominated by Buz Tennent's robust portrayal of the bandit/narrator El Gallo, Diamond Head Theatre's revival is much more substantial than a plot synopsis would suggest.

"The Fantasticks": Presented by Diamond Head Theatre at 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays, through April 10. Tickets are $12 to $42. Call 733-0274.

Tennent is the show's foundation. Community theater directors are sometimes forced into trade-offs when casting musicals. The person with the best voice may not have the body type to be convincing, or someone who looks the part may be a weak dancer, but there are no such problems here. Tennent possesses a powerful baritone, commanding presence and is also the biggest member of the cast. His size adds a visual element to El Gallo's confrontations with The Boy that a slighter actor would not.

With Keith N. Anderson as The Boy, their relationship is that of a sophisticated man of the world and a na•ve youth. Murray accentuates the physical contrast with assists from Bertha "Maya" Fernandez (costumes) and Jess Aki (makeup and hair). Tennent looks every inch the swashbuckling hero of a romance novel, while Anderson is an archetypical nerd, down to glasses that make him into an overgrown Harry Potter.

Tennent claims the show with his opening rendition of "Try to Remember." Anderson is believable as The Boy embraces the thrill of an idealized first love in Act I before learning the ways of the world in Act II. Their big duet, "I Can See It," comes across with nuances that go beyond lyrical content.

Anderson also passes muster elsewhere. Many men will see something of their own first loves in his idealistic portrayal. He also does fine work as a physical comedian in Act II.

Katie Beth Hicks establishes The Girl as a shallow, superficial ditz with no clue about love and relationships. She and The Boy are so far removed from reality that when they bicker, there's no reason to care about the outcome of the argument. Hicks and Anderson make a convincing couple, however, and her big number with Tennent is beautifully done as well.

The playwrights, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, have taken a patronizing view of young love, but the comic elements resonate. Peter K. Clark (Hucklebee) and Richard Mahea (Bellomy) star in "Never Say No," one of the most delightful numbers in Act I, as the feuding fathers the use of reverse psychology on teens.

Clark and Mahea make a welcome return as song-and-dance men in Act II with "Plant a Radish," another song that parents of teens can relate to.

Stage veterans Jim Hesse (The Player, Henry) and Michael De Ycaza (The Man Who Dies, Mortimer) add to the broad comic aspects, playing threadbare survivors of a fading Shakespearean troupe. Little of what they do adds to the young lovers' story, but they are so entertaining that the playwrights are forgiven for putting the main story on hold as The Player fumbles his way though Shakespeare and The Man Who Dies demonstrates his specialty.

Chesley Cannon deserves applause for his expressive and effective performance as The Mute; musical director Roslyn Catracchia and her four musicians do a magnificent job with Schmidt's music; and Mikel J. Humerickhouse (sound design) achieves a perfect balance between music and voices.

And, yes, DHT is doing the original, uncensored version of "The Fantasticks" that includes a song in which "rape" is defined as synonym for "abduction." El Gallo and the fathers plan the "rape" of The Girl, and her carefully choreographed rescue, using terms families might use in planning a wedding.

Tennent, Clark and Maheu make that controversial number, "It Depends on What You Pay," another highlight. In doing so they demonstrate the importance of heeding the writers' intent over contemporary political correctness.