THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

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THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/23/26 at 8:00am

Performances start at the Hayes October 22 with opening November 16, and we still do not have a single name announced. That is a very tight window for a show that needs to sell on its cast, because it certainly is not selling on novelty -- this is the first Broadway production ever of a show that ran 42 years eight blocks away.

Christopher Gattelli is directing and choreographing, and the big swing is that Matt and Luisa become Matt and Lewis -- the central couple reconceived as a gay love story. Sam Davis is doing new orchestrations, which matters a lot to me: does "Try to Remember" survive being re-orchestrated, or does the whole charm of this piece die the moment you add more than a harp and a piano?

So: who is El Gallo? That is the star part and the one that sells tickets. I keep hearing the same three names in my group chat and I refuse to be the one who says them first. Who are you all betting on?

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/23/26 at 8:46am

Patti Lupone as Gallo confirmed! 😆

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/23/26 at 1:22pm

Sam Davis is really first-rate. I trust that whatever he'll do to the score won't flatten it or remove its charm.

"I feel safe with you, and complete with you / I'm always finding money in the street with you." -Sheldon Harnick

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/23/26 at 2:55pm

There's a rarely used but canonical eight-piece orchestration for larger venues. I saw the Pittsburgh Public's production about a decade ago with the larger orchestration and it sounded great.

That was a very big, very weird production: dense and metatheatrical, a show within a show.

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/23/26 at 4:35pm

I don't know who they'll end up getting for the leads but I could see them trying to get the likes of Jordan Fisher, Jeremy Jordan, Darren Criss, Ben Levi Ross, etc.

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/23/26 at 4:53pm

Hopefully you mean to play El Gallo because with the exception of Ben Levi Ross (maybe), they are all too old to play Matt or Lewis (Luisa) who are supposed to be 20 and 16.

Updated On: 8/23/26 at 04:53 PM

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/23/26 at 5:16pm

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 8:21am

Waiting on casting to purchase tickets to this. Would love to see Mary Testa as one of the mothers.

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 1:15pm

The Rural Juror said: "Waiting on casting to purchase tickets to this. Would love to see Mary Testa as one of the mothers."

Yeah, if this is going to have houses above like 60% capacity every night, they are going to need some big names playing El Gallo and the two mothers. There's really nothing justifying turning a small, low-budget Off-Broadway show into a full fledged Broadway musical except for the gimmick of "Oh, and they're gay now." I'm afraid this is just not going to sell without a TV celebrity or two in the cast, or at the very least some beloved Broadway veterans.

#10

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 2:16pm

FANtomFollies said: "I don't know who they'll end up getting for the leads but I could see them trying to get the likes of Jordan Fisher, Jeremy Jordan, Darren Criss, Ben Levi Ross, etc."

God, I hope we don't see any of these names.

I'm sure they'll want to play it safe, but I want at least some fresh faces mixed in, and hopefully with some diversity in casting - I'm sure it'll be some kids just slightly older but still as lithe and athletics as a Newsies dancer - but hopefully at least one will be a surprise.

"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

#11

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 2:44pm

El Gallo feels predestined for Josh Groban.

“I am furious, but I am sailing.”

#12

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 6:56pm

Do we have any info on what gender El Gallo will be? I know that the fathers are now mothers and both the lovers sons --- is there further gender-swapping or is that it? Have the creatives said anything?

"I feel safe with you, and complete with you / I'm always finding money in the street with you." -Sheldon Harnick

#13

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 7:33pm

halfhourcheckwithmerman said: "Do we have any info on what gender El Gallo will be? I know that the fathers are now mothers and both the lovers sons --- is there further gender-swapping or is that it? Have the creatives said anything?"

Considering the fact that El Gallo seduces Lewis (Luisa), I would assume that El Gallo will be male.

#14

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 9:22pm

El Gallo will be male, per the casting notice:

LEWIS: 18 years old. Male. Any Ethnicity. A boy-next-door romantic idealist who hungers for more than his small-town life. Energetic and playful with an active imagination. A very strong tenor voice.
MATT: 19 years old. Male. Any Ethnicity. Handsome in a boyish way. An innocent, romantic and kind young man. Proud, honest, hopeful and loving. He yearns to be respected like a man. A very strong baritone or baritenor voice.
EL GALLO: 35-55, Male, Any Ethnicity. A sexy, mysterious and dangerously handsome gallant. The narrator of the play. He represents everything Lewis is enamored with. A very strong baritone voice.
BESSIE MAE BELLOMY: 40-60, Female, Any Ethnicity. Lewis’ mother. Also a meticulous gardener. Like Mildred, she wants her son to fall in love with Matt and live happily within her garden walls. Has great, subtle comic timing and a strong musical theatre soprano.
MILDRED HUCKLEBEE: 40-60, Female, Any Ethnicity. Matt’s mother. Bold and buxom. A former navy soldier and meticulous gardener. Honest yet eccentric. Wants her son to fall in love with Lewis and live happily within her garden walls. Has great, subtle comic timing and a strong musical theatre alto.
HENRY: 60-80, Male, Any Ethnicity. An aging, over-the-top thespian. Was a world-famous stage actor in his day. Has no idea he is no longer a star. A comedian with great comic timing and a strong sense of physical comedy, even if slight and simple. Carries himself with grace and poise although he can hardly walk. Non-singing role.
MORTIMER: 50-75, Male, Any Ethnicity. Henry’s goofing sidekick with a cockney accent. Odd, off-centered and distinct, in appearance and behavior. Has no idea Henry is no longer a star. An excellent physical comedian with great comic timing.
THE MUTE: 18-35. Any gender, Any ethnicity. A speechless presence who watches and acts as the wall. An excellent dancer and have great miming abilities, as well as the ability to hold still for a long period of time.

#15

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 9:30pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "El Gallo feels predestined for Josh Groban."

I think if the commercial producers who first announced this production could get Josh Groban, they wouldn't have handed it off to 2nd Stage.

Nick Christopher would be amazing. Not a ticket-seller, obviously, but the famous guys might have said no already.

#16

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 9:56pm

Oh, duh. How did I forget the plot of THE FANTASTICKS?

"I feel safe with you, and complete with you / I'm always finding money in the street with you." -Sheldon Harnick

#17

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/24/26 at 10:35pm

Sydney James Harcourt MUST be El Gallo!

#18

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 12:33am

JSquared2 said: "Sydney James Harcourt MUST be El Gallo!"

I never would have come up with this but I need it now.

#19

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 5:17am

MATT: 19 years old. Male. Any Ethnicity. Handsome in a boyish way. An innocent, romantic and kind young man. Proud, honest, hopeful and loving. He yearns to be respected like a man. A very strong baritone or baritenor voice.

Obviously not going to happen, but this description fits Ali Louis Bourzgui like this role was written EXACTLY for him.

Given that this is their big flagship production for the season, not having any casting out at this point to drive sales is not encouraging, especially the base prices are higher by virtue of this being a musical.

Reading the El Gallo description (though again not likely to happen at all), it sounds like a great fit for Luke Evans.

Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!! www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm

#20

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 5:45am

JSquared2 said: "Sydney James Harcourt MUST be El Gallo!"

Sounds like he made CATS a pretty toxic place. Let's not wish that for another cast.

"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman

#21

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 5:54am

iluvtheatertrash said: "JSquared2 said: "Sydney James Harcourt MUST be El Gallo!"

Sounds like he made CATS a pretty toxic place. Let's not wish that for another cast."

Haven’t heard anything about that. What did he do?

#22

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 6:22am

DramaTeach said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "JSquared2 said: "Sydney James Harcourt MUST be El Gallo!"

Sounds like he made CATS a pretty toxic place. Let's not wish that for another cast."

Haven’t heard anything about that. What did he do?"

Without turning this thread into a litigation of this matter, here is the link to the spot on the CTJB board referencing it.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/thread/CATS-THE-JELLICLE-BALL-Reviews/19#5576129

Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!! www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm

#23

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 6:55am

Patrick page for el gallo

#24

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 9:28am

iluvtheatertrash said: "JSquared2 said: "Sydney James Harcourt MUST be El Gallo!"

Sounds like he made CATS a pretty toxic place. Let's not wish that for another cast."

BS based on jealousy of a few cast members because Harcourt became a media darling. The show closed and he still was invited onto national late night TV. They're going to be bitter twisted bitches for the rest of their lives.

...

#25

Re: THE FANTASTICKS at the Hayes -- Casting Speculation

Posted: 8/25/26 at 12:34pm

Nettik said: Sydney James Harcourt MUST be El Gallo!"

Yeah....no.

This isn't selling well and I doubt they have a bunch of celeb names for an old show that no one under 30 knows anything about. Also, the complete lack of marketing and advertising is really strange as well.

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