'The Fantasticks' To Go Dark 55 Years After First Show

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- "The Fantasticks" bills itself as the world's longest-running musical, and late this spring, that run will come to an end.

The off-Broadway phenomenon will pack away its confetti and cardboard moon on May 3 – the 55th anniversary of its opening.

Written by composter Harvey Schmidt and lyricist and librettist Tom Jones, "The Fantasticks" tells the story of Matt and Luisa, a boy and girl who are tricked into fall in love by their meddling fathers, and grow apart after they discover the deception.

It features familiar standards such as "Try to Remember" and "Soon It's Gonna Rain."

"The Fantasticks" opened on May 3, 1960, and ran for 42 years and 17,162 performances at the since-shuttered Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village.

The original performance closed in January 2002 and the show went dark for four years, but reopened in 2006 and is now staged at the Snapple Theater Center, at 210 W. 50th St. in the Theater District.

Scores of actors have appeared in the show, including the late Jerry Orbach – who played narrator El Gallo – and Rita Gardner – who played Luisa – in the opening cast. Daniel Berryman currently appears as Matt and Samantha Bruce as Luisa.

When it closes, "The Fantasticks" will have run 20,672 performances altogether.