Thomasville On Stage & Co.’s 2017-18 theatre season opens Friday with a reimagining of America’s longest running musical, “The Fantasticks,” at TOSAC’s Storefront Theatre downtown.

Directed by Trey Cox, with musical direction by Tom Whiddon, the production features two plotting mothers — as opposed to two fathers in the long-running off-Broadway production — who scheme to push their children into falling in love by pretending to feud.

Local theatre goers will recognize most of the cast members, who are regulars in the Thomasville and Tallahassee theatre scenes. The infamous El Gallo is being played by Erin Grubbs, last seen in Thomasville in the title role of the Red Hills Players production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Peyton Hodges plays the old actor, Henry, and TOSAC veterans Donna Mavity and Emmy Tancsics portray the conniving parents of the bewildered lovers.

Two young actors who have literally grown up on the TOSAC stage play major roles in the production. Julianna Watson (most recently seen as Ursula in “The Little Mermaid”) and Adam Hunter (the Prince in “Cinderella”) play the young lovers Matt and Luisa. The role of Luisa is double cast with Watson and TOSAC newcomer Melanie Applegate, with Applegate playing the opening weekend (Sept. 15-17) and Watson playing the final weekend (Sept. 22-24).

Rounding out the cast are two performers who have also come of age on the TOSAC stage, Matthew Whetsell as Mortimer and Tas’ina Copeland as The Mute.

Adding some magic to this year’s season opener is the leadership of two seasoned veterans of Broadway musical theatre. Cox and Whiddon have traveled the world as music directors and musicians for a number of Broadway touring productions, including as the 25th anniversary tour of “Les Miserables,” “The Producers,’ “Young Frankenstein” and “The Drowsy Chaperone,” among others. They have worked with a host of renowned Broadway stars and Tony Award-winning directors and choreographers. 

This is TOSAC’s third time to produce “The Fantasticks,” but Cox feels this production has unique aspects that make it worth coming out to see this classic of American musical theatre again, such as the steampunk inspired set and costume design, and the use of mothers in the scheming parent’s roles, instead of the traditional father duo.

The popular musical by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt is an allegorical story that focuses on two young lovers, their meddling parents and the journey all must take through adolescent thrills, the growing pains of hurt and betrayal, the highs of passion and the agonies of heartbreak to discover how to truly love. “The Fantasticks” originally opened at New York’s Sullivan Street Playhouse in 1960 and ran for more than 42 years before closing in 2002. A 2006 revival, at the Jerry Orbach Theatre, ran 11 years and just recently closed in June.

Show dates and times for are opening weekend, Friday and Saturday September 15 and 16, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, September 17, at 2 p.m. Final weekend is Friday, September 22, through Sunday September 24, same times. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, and may be bought online at www.tosac.com, or reserved by calling (229) 226-0863.  The house opens at 30 minutes before curtain time. 

Reservations are strongly recommended, as musical productions often sell out before show time.