Tom Jones, the acclaimed author and lyricist behind the immensely successful musical “The Fantasticks,” passed away at the age of 95 at his home in Sharon, Conn on Friday. His son, Michael, announced that the cause of death was cancer. Jones, along with his frequent collaborator Harvey Schmidt, began their creative journey while studying at the University of Texas. Although Jones focused on directing and Schmidt pursued art, they remained connected and continued to write songs together through mail correspondence while serving in the Korean War.
Jones ventured to New York in search of directing jobs but was unsuccessful. However, he found opportunities to write for revues produced by Julius Monk and experiment with another musical alongside composer John Donald Robb. Their production, titled “Joy Comes to Deadhorse,” which drew inspiration from a comedy by French playwright Edmond Rostand, premiered at the University of New Mexico in 1956. Despite differing opinions on the production’s success, Jones persevered and later teamed up with Schmidt, who had also relocated to New York.
In 1959, while seeking a one-act musical for a summer festival at Barnard College, Jones and Schmidt decided to break away from traditional Broadway conventions. They created a minimalist show centered on the story of young lovers and their feuding fathers, incorporating a narrator and unconventional staging techniques. The musical caught the attention of producer Lore Noto, who brought it to the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village. “The Fantasticks” officially premiered in May 1960 and featured Jerry Orbach as El Gallo, the narrator, who delivered the iconic opening song “Try to Remember.”
“The Fantasticks” defied expectations and ran for an incredible 17,000 performances at Sullivan Street Playhouse, making it the longest-running musical in history until its closure in 2002. Jones and Schmidt went on to collaborate on other successful shows, earning Tony Award nominations for their work. Additionally, a revival of “The Fantasticks” in 2006 saw Mr. Jones reprising his role on opening night, and the show continued for over a decade.
While “The Fantasticks” remained the highlight of his career, Jones’s accomplishments extended beyond the musical. He wrote the lyrics for Schmidt’s music in “110 in the Shade,” which premiered on Broadway in 1963 and earned critical acclaim. Furthermore, his collaboration with Schmidt on “I Do! I Do!” resulted in a successful Broadway run in the mid-1960s. Despite his passing, Jones’s legacy as a celebrated and innovative writer will continue to inspire future generations in the world of musical theater.
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