Lexington Herald-Leader from Lexington, Kentucky • 39

i Lexington Herald-Leader W0 Section Thursday May 1 1986 to close June 8 productions of the show By Michael Kuchwara 'Like Rocky Marciano I want to go out a champ I felt the show had to close eventually and there's no easy way to do it But we are going put proud and happy' Lore Noto producer The New York production has its first father-daughter cast members George Lee Andrews is now playing the narrator while his daugher Jennifer who even bom when the show opened plays the young girl NEW YORK Even The Eentas-ticks his a final curtain The world's longest-miming musical will close June 8 after more than 38 yean and KUXH performances at off-Broadway! tiny Sullivan Street Playhouse who called friends and urged them to see the musical For Note a one-time commercial artist He Fantasticks has become a full-time career He was the original understudy for the boy's father and began playing the role permanently in 1971 Since then he has played the part more than 8300 times "Like Rocky Marciano I want to go out a aid producer Lore Noto frit the show had to dose eventually and there's no easy way to do ft But we are going out proud and The musical is based on an ob-scure Rostand play called La Romanesques a spoof of Romeo and Juliet in which two fathers invent a feud in order to bring their children -together The atari id the original production were Jerry Orbach as the narrator Kenneth Nelson as the boy and Rita Gardner as the girt Singers like Ed Ames Harry Bda-fonte arid Barbra Streisand began recording songs from the show especially Try to and "Soon Ifi Gonna and the tunes brought in new audiences The final performance will on June 8 at 10 pjn and will finish lust after midnight 83rd birthday the producer said The Fantasticks was the first hit fils' composer Schmidt and Midst Jones Their other musicals include I Dot I Dot 110 hi the Shade and Cekbratkn They are working on Grover's Comers a musical version at Thornton Wilder's Our Town The musical which opened May 3 I960 cost $16300 to produce at the 153-seat theater The reviews were mired but Noto using part of Us own savings had put aside $3000 to keep the shew running during that first lean summer and his persistence paid oft Since its opening the show has paid its backers an 8342 percent return on their investment been with this show since I was 36 There must be something else I can laughed Noto who said the musical's financial condition while not as strong as in recent years was not the major factor in deciding to end the run The longest-running show in the history of the theater is Agatha The Mousetrap which opened in London on Nov 28 1952 and is still going strong more than 14300 performances later In 1964 Noto allowed a television version which starred Ricardo Mon-talban Bert Lahr Stanley Holloway Susan Watson and John Davidson Instead of hurting the show the telecast helped business as did release of production rights to stock and amateur groups' The statistics are staggering: as of Jan 1 1988 8313 productions hi the United States alone including amateur productions and 473 productions in 67 foreign countries Performers ranging from Liza Minnelli to Jdhn Carradine and from Tom Poston to Anna Maria -Alberghetti have appeared in different I Am I into JTLZ 1 is A mn rr'-r' r1 irar -t closing come as a surprise We had discussed it with Lore earlier this month But it still will be said Harvey Schmidt who along with Tom Jones wrote The Fentasttcks The record for a long-running Broadway show held by the musical A Chorus Line which opened July 25 1979 and as of last Saturday had played 4464 performances Several factors prolonged The run In its first struggling months the show had dedicated supporters Including actress Anne Bancroft and producer Cheryl Crawford Associated Press Harvey Schmidt left who wrote 'Fantasticks' music and Tom Jones who wrote lyrics in 1984 Clotheshorses being groomed for the Derby Fashion notes Derby-related events Page 02 By Tina Bodine Fain Herald-Leader assistant lifestyle editor 1 he mast exciting two minutes in sports mean hours of work for people behind the scenes who design related products plan parties and provide clothes that promise to turn Derbygoers1 heads New York designer Maureen Cul-linane has been thinking Derby since October when Lazarus commissioned her to create a limited edition line of sweaters dedicated to the Kentucky event ington called Blue Grass which is still a top seller in the line Photographs at Arden and her horses decorate the conference rooms at the Hyatt Regency Hotel where Roberts is doing one-ao-one makeup consultations through Friday His visit is sponsored by Lazarus which sells the Arden line On Tuesday he talked briefly with cliento making suggestions on what was right and wrong about their looks before sending them to one of four makeup artists tor a makeover "You go around with a face from another he told one woman who was hesitant about updating her spare look He chided another who shied away from testing products before she bought them: never buy a dress without trying it on so try on makeup On the way out the door Margaret Edger of Georgetown was asked to describe her new look She laughed and said Roberts had to agree Consultations are available from 10 am to 7 pm today and from 10 am to noon Friday The $50 fee is refundable through product pur chasei Can Lazarus at 272-4511 Ext 322 to make an appointment The styles spent names like "Photo "Run for the and and only 18 pieces were hand-knit in each style There is probably 22 to 25 hours in each said Ms Cullinane 36 The all-cotton sweaters sell for $250 to $300 each and are available at Lazarus stores in Lexington Louisville and Cincinnati Mi Cullinane relied on "20 years of watching the Derby on as her inspiration tor the line she said But this year see the race firsthand got my hat so she said in an interview from her office in New York "They pretty much told me that you go to Derby without Thoroughbred look: Glenn Roberto creative beauty director for Elizabeth Arden Inc is spending Derby week in Lexington introducing his "Kentucky thoroughbred He may have been motivated by the Derby but be get to see it in person this year love to go to the Derby but somewhere rather go more said Roberts whose cur rent media tour takes him to an average of two cities a week Roberts created the thoroughbred look as a salute to Elizabeth Arden's Kentucky heritage She was the owner of Maine Chance Farm a 750-acre stable outside of Lexington bought by the University of Kentucky when she died she owned the 1947 Derby winner Jet Pilot: and she created a fragrance In 1934 especially for Lex Derby dazxlere: One of the special guests at Preston and Anita Derby Eve party Friday may outshine the rest it's the first U5 showing of the Diamonds-International Awards 1988 Collection worth more than $800000 The collection which will be on display Friday only reflects the latest international jewelry trends from 30 designers The prize-winning pieces each containing at least three carats of diamond! were selected in Milan Italy from about 1300 entrie! To add glamour to the glitter six Lexington teens were selected through Images Model Agency to (Turn to CLOTHESHORSES D12) Derby sweaters by Maureen Cullinane are modeled above the limited edition sweaters are available at Lazarus At right makeup artist Terri Lang Smith gives model Christy Hewlett an Egyptian look to be featured at the Madden party Friday The models will be wearing jewels such as those modeled above right Glenn Roberts above left creative beauty director for Elizabeth Arden Inc is demonstrating his "Kentucky thoroughbred look" this week as part of a promotional tour in Lexington I Uli! AihJwmhi WTVQ-TV expanding facilities and horizons the little guys In the Mixon said that moving news from last place to first was a long-term goal "not something that will happen Down! Then at 9:30 pm the sports director Kenny Rice will be the host of a local special to Run Trained to Theg In a nondescript patchwork The changes will be phased In over a period of time perhaps one or two yean But neither he nor Service Is willing to discuss specific! If WTVQ wants to get fancy with Its newscast It can always turn to the helicopter landing pad that was installed during the remodeling "We'll use (the landing pod) for those times when ABC comes In when the governor comes Service said offhandedly "and maybe down the line a year or two even buy our own helicopter" Win" The show's producer Ellen Farm said the primary focus would be on Calumet and Claiborne horse farm! Claiborne manager John Sosby will show how horses are trained And Calumet President JT Lundy will discuss the farm's illustrious put as well as plans to rebuild Its racing stable The program will dose with a videotape production of "Kentucky original music written by Lexlngtonlans Mike Cross and Jim Richardson For more Derby hoopla TdrCaWe of Lexington subscribers can settle down with cable 9 which will carry the Equine Cable Network's special Derby programming between 10 and 11:30 tonight and Friday worked flees In a recessed area off Biyant Road not hr from the Impressive pillared building that houses their rival WKYT-TV The contrast between the two facilities was sharp the Jokes were sometimes defensive But now WTVQ has begun the process of shedding Its little-guy Image Last week it officially opened its newly remodeled $2 million building a sleekly modem facility made impressive with expensive office furniture a glass-enclosed master control room arid attractive patio lunch area! Station officials have also Indicated that more changes are on the way According to vice president and general manager Bill Service a new studio and a control room win be added within five yean Within 10 years more office space will be added to double the size of the present building Of more direct Interest to area TV viewers are plans by Los Angeles-based Shamrock Broodcasting Corp Krent company to upgrade the station's v-nted local newscast! "News is a priority and it is our next project this said Jim Mixon Shamrock's executive vice president and chief operating officer "If you want to be the lending station in the market you have to makes commitment to local programming and news is the biggest component of local I Herald-LMdw MustrationBill Piker Just kidding around Kentucky kids from 5 to 1 2 have a chanco to make some now friends from around the slate Story Page DIO Derby prep: If you want to get In the mood for Saturday's running of the Kentucky Derby WTVQ is prepared to help At 8 pm Friday the station will provide live coverage of the Kentucky Oaks an Important race for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill How to do lb KET wilt offer the do-M- (Turn to CHANT EL D3) ft jfrwl i A ifrirtUfa frits In Ifc Its fiftoiirTtiiitiTkisjTbivT frV 11 Tri a a A A A.