Tom Jones, the acclaimed writer of both the book and lyrics for the iconic musical “The Fantasticks,” passed away on Friday at the age of 95. His son, Michael, informed The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer.
Jones, along with the late composer Harvey Schmidt, collaborated on the creation of “The Fantasticks,” a musical allegory that premiered in 1960 in Greenwich Village and enjoyed a remarkable off-Broadway run of 42 years. The musical is best known for its opening number, “Try to Remember,” and the popular song “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” which was also performed by Barbra Streisand outside of the show.
Born in Littlefield, Texas on February 17, 1928, Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he first met his long-time collaborator Schmidt.
After serving in the Korean War, Jones relocated to New York City and began his theater career by writing for the revues produced by Julius Monk. He also worked alongside composer John Donald Robb on a musical western titled “Joy Comes to Deadhorse,” which was loosely based on Edmond Rostand’s play “Les Romanesques.” Following creative differences with Robb, Jones joined forces with Schmidt to further develop the piece, eventually transforming it into “The Fantasticks.”
In 1959, Jones and Schmidt showcased an abridged one-act version of their show at a summer festival held at Barnard College. Producer Lore Noto discovered the production at Barnard and brought the expanded two-act musical, titled “The Fantasticks,” to the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village. It officially opened on May 3, 1960, with Jones portraying Henry, the Old Actor, and Jerry Orbach as El Gallo, the narrator who performs “Try to Remember.”
Despite receiving mixed reviews initially, “The Fantasticks” enjoyed an unprecedented run of over 17,000 performances at the Sullivan Street Playhouse until 2002, earning the title of the longest-running musical in U.S. history.
In addition to “The Fantasticks,” Jones and Schmidt collaborated on other notable Broadway productions such as “I Do! I Do!” and “110 in the Shade,” which premiered in 1963 and ran for 330 performances. Jones received Tony nominations for both “I Do! I Do!” and “110 in the Shade,” along with winning the Drama Desk Vernon Rice Award for “The Fantasticks” in 1961.
“The Fantasticks” gained widespread popularity beyond off-Broadway when it was adapted for a “Hallmark Hall of Fame” presentation in 1964, featuring acclaimed actors like Ricardo Montalban, John Davidson, Bert Lahr, and Stanley Holliday.
A film adaptation of “The Fantasticks” was released in 1995, directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Joey McIntyre and Jean Louisa Kelly. However, due to the decline of live-action movie musicals at the time, the film was initially shelved for five years. It eventually received a limited theatrical release in 2000 after Frances Ford Coppola edited his own version of the movie with Ritchie’s approval. Both cuts of the film were later released on a Twilight Time Blu-Ray.
A revival of “The Fantasticks” opened in 2006 and ran for over 4,300 performances until 2017. Jones, who also reprised his role as Henry, the Old Actor, directed the off-Broadway production.
Notably, the opening song of “The Fantasticks,” “Try to Remember,” was recorded by Streisand on her debut album. While Streisand auditioned for the original off-Broadway production of the musical, her non-inclusion did not deter her from embracing the timeless song. During their marriage in the 1960s, Elliott Gould and Streisand discussed the possibility of starring together in a film adaptation of “The Fantasticks,” as Gould had previously toured with Liza Minnelli in the show.
Various artists have recorded “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” including Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, We Five, Mandy Patinkin, and Julie London.
Jones is survived by his sons, Michael and Sam Jones, from his second marriage to choreographer Janet Watson, who passed away in 2016.
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