The Fantasticks
by Milam Community Theater

May. 31

Auditions for a role in The Fantasticks with Milam Community Theater on May 31.

The Fantasticks gets in gear for summer show

Director, auditions set for MCT’s The Fantasticks

Auditions for Milam Community Theater’s summer production of The Fantasticks has been set for Sunday, May 31 beginning at 4 p.m. at the Williams Event Center in Cameron.

The MCT board is excited to announce that Christine Couch, a musical theater veteran, has been selected to helm this wonderful musical about two young lovers who are tricked into falling in love by their fathers, who stage a feud to bring them together.

Couch brings with her over a decade of experience directing musical theater in the Central Texas area. Her most recent directorial credits include Sleeping Beauty: The Musical (WATCH Theater) and Anastasia (Central Texas Theater). She is thrilled to make her debut with Milam Community Theater with this production.

The script, which calls for eight actors, explores themes of love, disillusionment, and the complexities of relationships, as the young couple’s love is tested and they eventually find their way back to each other with a deeper understanding of love.

The show’s original off-Broadway production ran a total of 42 years (until 2002) and 17,162 performances, making it the world’s longest-running musical. The poetic book and breezy, inventive score, including such memorable songs as “Try to Remember,” helped make the show durable.

Couch said that auditions will include cold readings from the script and that actors should prepare a 30-60 second song either from the show or one that will show off your talent. Song suggestions, along with full character descriptions, are posted on MCT’s website, milamcommunitytheater.com.

Actors may audition a capella or a Bluetooth speaker will be available to play a selected track from a digital device. 

“Age, and in many cases, gender, are not necessarily pre-determined,” Couch said. She added that details regarding age and gender may be altered based on the actors that audition. “Your task in the audition is to show us that you could portray one of these characters, regardless of their age or gender, as written.”

Rehearsals will begin Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30 p.m. All rehearsals will be held at the Williams Event Center.

Audition Details: 

  • Sign up: ****HERE*****
  • Please have a 30-60 second song prepared either from the show (suggestions follow) or one that will show off your talent.
  • Auditions will include readings from the script (sides will be available at the audition) and some simple movement exercises.
  • Auditioners should be prepared to list all conflicts and availability for the rehearsal period.

Rehearsals:

  • The first read-through and rehearsals will begin Wednesday, June 3, 2026
  • Rehearsals are generally held on weeknights (Mon-Thurs.) from 6:30pm – 9:30pm, and Sunday afternoons from 3:00pm – 7:00pm
  • A detailed rehearsal schedule (3x weekly) will be developed once all actors’ availability is established.
  • TECH/DRESS REHEARSAL WEEK: July 19, 20, 21, 23, 24

Performances:

  • Performance dates: July 25 – Aug 2, 2026 (Saturday evenings @ 7 PM & Sunday matinees @ 2 PM)

Send an email to ccouch@verizon.net if you have any questions regarding the audition or rehearsals.

Available Roles:

*Age, and in many cases, gender, are not necessarily pre-determined. The casting information provided below is consistent with the original casting of this musical in 1960. These details may be altered, based on the actors who audition, at the discretion of the director. Your task in the audition is to show us that you could portray one of these characters, regardless of their age or gender, as written. 

  • El Gallo (Male, High Baritone, 30-45*). As the narrator of the piece, he is the liaison between the audience and the action onstage. He is warm, cordial, and inviting to the audience, yet with darker moments. His attitude toward the rest of the cast reveals a decidedly mysterious side. Above all he is grand and must command attention. Suggested song selection: Try to Remember (0:00-1:00) 
  • Matt (Male, Baritone, 16-26*). As a young lover, he is deeply in love, particularly with the idea of being in love. He lacks experience in the world so, while not stupid, he is naive and perhaps even foolish at times. His image of a young man in love is one of a gallant protector, meaning that he approaches some decisions with a falsified bravery that is little more than bravado. Suggested song selection: They Were You (0:00-0:40) or I Can See It (1:21-2:37)
  • Luisa (Female, Soprano, 16-26*). As a young lover, she is in love. She is in love with love, the idea of love, the idea of being in love and indeed everything remotely romantic. Her dreams are more fanciful than those of Matt. Because of her vision of romance, she deals with the world on a particularly naive level. Suggested song selection: They Were You (0:41-1:12) or Much More (0:28-1:37)
  • Hucklebee &​ Bellomy (Males, Baritone, 45-60*). Blustery and boisterous duo. Strong comedic timing a must. Fathers (or mothers?) of Matt and Luisa. Always arguing and bickering but secretly plotting together for the marriage of their children. Suggested song selection: Plant a Radish (0:18-1:16)
  • Henry &​ Mortimer (Males, 30-60*). Foolish comic actors who move the action while not seeming to contribute anything of substance. As performers their day has long passed. Henry can play grand characters and recite Shakespeare, but with very little success these days. May be asked to speak in an English accent. Mortimer’s specialty is dying on stage in the manner of great adventures and melodramas. May be asked to speak in a Cockney accent. Henry and Mortimer function as a unit and rarely appear apart from each other. They are entirely theatrical and theirs is the world of the stage. 
  • The Mute (Male or Female, age open). The Mute serves many functions—setting props as characters need them, assisting El Gallo, and becoming the wall separating the families. While omnipresent the character must also be able to fade into the background. This is a functional character that sometimes interacts with the others.