The Fantasticks is a musical comedy from 1960. It's about two neighboring fathers who trick their children into falling in love by pretending to feud.
The first musical number of the show is "Try to Remember," a song about nostalgia. In the song, the audience is invited to reminisce and reflect on their childhood and growing up.
Jerry Orbach sang the song in the role of "El Gallo"
WARNING: This might make individuals with cognitive problems anxious or uncomfortable. Think carefully about how you might assist your care-companion accessing memories of your shared past or how you might frame this to focus on imagination or the feeling of reminiscence instead of memory itself.
What do you notice about the the song? How does it make you feel? What is it about September? How is that different from December?
What other singers do you associate with the tune?
Was it simpler and better in the past? Or maybe that's just how we see it? The subject of the song itself is reminiscence and imagination.
This is a great piece to talk about high school or community theater.
What other musical theater comes to mind?
