Posts Tagged ‘a funny thing happened on the way to forum’

New Line’s Fun “Forum” Highlights Humor, Excellent Singing

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Based on the plays of Plautus
Directed by Scott Miller and Chris Kernan
Choreographed by Chris Kernan
New Line Theatre
June 3, 2023

Kent Coffel (center) and Cast of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre’s latest production is of a well-known show, featuring a score by a legendary composer and a book by two veteran comedy writers. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, based on the works of ancient Roman playwright Plautus, was a hit in the 1960s and has been performed in various venues since then. It does have its dated elements, but at New Line, as usual, there are some new perspectives that emerge. For the most part, this is a show that revels in its humor, and at New Line, the focus is on the strong singing of Stephen Sondheim’s memorable score.

The story is framed as a performance by a dramatic troupe that decides, for this day’s performance, they will be staging a comedy. What results is a slapstick farce set in Roman times, centering on Pseudolus (Kent Coffel), who is a slave in one of the three houses featured in the story. He serves Hero (Ian McCreary), the son of Senex (Robert Doyle), who is heading out of town with his controlling wife Domina (Ann Hier Brown) to visit her family. While they are away, Pseudolus works on a plan to gain his freedom after he notices that Hero has fallen for a young woman he’s seen in the window of the neighboring house, which is essentially a brothel operated by Marcus Lycus (Jason Blackburn). Soon, they find out that the object of Hero’s ardor, the virginal Philia (Sarah Wilkinson), has been purchased sight unseen by the narcissistic general Miles Gloriosus (Danny Brown), who is due to arrive soon to make her his bride. Pseudolus’s plan gets more complicated as the story goes on, much to the frustration of Senex’s chief slave Hysterium (Chris Moore), who reluctantly gets brought into the scheme. Meanwhile, the elderly Erroneus (Gary Cox), who lives in the other neighboring house, returns to town after a long absence, still looking for his long-lost children who were captured by pirates years previously. How all these stories fit together is the source of much of the comedy, which is portrayed here by an enthusiastic cast who are all in excellent voice. 

I had seen this show once before, at the Muny a few years ago. Obviously, a small company like New Line isn’t going to have the elaborate production values or huge stage of the Muny, but New Line has become adept at scaling shows down for its venue, as well as bringing out nuances in stories that bigger productions can gloss over. You could say that there isn’t much room for nuance in a show like Forum, with its broad, bawdy comedy and plot that relies on old standard devices like mistaken identity and mixed-up romance, but while it’s still a broad farce, I found myself looking differently at some of the characters here, such as Domina, who comes across here much better than her lecherous husband, Senex. The dated features of the story are here, with the women being the focus of the jokes much of the time, but the overall silliness here takes precedence, for the most part.

In terms of performances, the cast is especially strong vocally, as is usual for New Line. As for comic timing, some are better than others, and there are moments when the jokes don’t land as they should, but for the most part, it’s a very funny show. Coffel as Pseudolus is ideally cast, with a strong voice and great stage presence and comic ability. Moore as Hysterium also has some memorable comic moments, as do Danny Brown as the self-admiring Miles Gloriosus, and Ann Hier Brown as the domineering but lovesick Domina. McCreary and Wilkinson are well-matched as the wide-eyed lovers, Hero and Philia. There’s also a trio of “Proteans” for an ensemble (Nathan Hakenwerth, Brittany Kohl Hester, and Aarin Kamphoefner) who all play various roles and seem to be having a great time. 

The look of the production is lively and vibrant, with a brightly painted, cartoonish set by Dr. Rob Lippert, and well-styled, colorful costumes by Eileen Engel that help to set the whimsical Roman tone of the show. There’s also good work on lighting by Matt Stuckel and music direction from Joe Simpson, with a strong onstage band conducted by keyboardist Matt Kauzlarich. 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is an unapologetic comedy that revels in its silliness. Although it’s based on plays from ancient Rome, the overall tone has a 1960s comedy vibe. New Line’s production is a lot of fun, with its small scale again working in its favor. It’s an enjoyable production especially for fans of Stephen Sondheim, goofy comedy, and great singing. 

Sarah Wilkinson, Ian McCreary
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre is presenting A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Marcelle Theatre until June 24, 2023

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The Muny’s Fun “Forum” Makes the Most of A Last-Minute Cast Change

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 9, 2017| Leave a Comment »

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Gary Griffin
Choreographed by Alex Sanchez
The Muny
July 5, 2017

John Tartaglia, Mark Linn-Baker, Jeffrey Shecter
Photo: The Muny

 

According to the notes in the program, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum in its original pre-Broadway run was saved by a last-minute song change, as composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim added “Comedy Tonight” as the opening number and the show became a hit. Well, another last-minute change has occurred for the Muny’s latest production, as billed star Peter Scolari unfortunately had to drop out due to illness, and Jeffrey Schecter, who winningly portrayed Scuttle in the Muny’s last production, The Little Mermaid, was called in four days before opening to take over the role of Pseudolus. Executive producer Mike Isaacason made an appearance before the opening night show to announce the change, and to let the audience know that Schecter would be performing with script in hand.  Still, despite the short rehearsal time, Schecter’s performance is a resounding success, anchoring a production that’s full of wit, energy, and old-school humor.

Based on several comedies by the ancient Roman playwright Plautus, Forum is framed as a theatrical repertory performance, introduced by Prologus (Schecter), who will play Pseudolus in tonight’s comedy. Pseudolus is a slave in the house of the wealthy Roman Senex (Mark Linn-Baker), who is about to go out of town with his overbearing wife Domina (E. Faye Butler), leaving his son Hero (Marrick Smith) in the charge of Pseudolus and chief slave Hysterium (John Tartaglia), who aren’t yet aware that the wide-eyed young man has fallen in love with a young woman he’s only seen but never met. This young woman is Philia (Ali Ewoldt), a new arrival at the house of Lycus (Jason Kravits), who keeps courtesans and has sold the virginal Philia sight unseen to a vainglorious military captain, Miles Gloriosus (Nathaniel Hackmann), who is due to arrive any day to claim his bride. There’s also Erronius (Whit Reichert), another neighbor, who is still searching for his long lost children, who were abducted years previously by pirates. Meanwhile Pseudolus seeks to obtain his freedom by helping Hero, but as this is a farce, nothing runs smoothly, with many comic mishaps and misunderstandings happening along the way to the show’s promised “happy ending”.

This is a funny, funny show, with a lot of wild, bawdy, and slapstick humor, and yes, some dated elements and some predictable plot points, but it’s a lot of fun, especially here with this energetic, enthusiastic cast. Schecter has had a difficult job filling in at the last minute in such a prominent role, but he shines, with excellent comic timing, smooth dance skills, and winning stage presence. He even manages to incorporate the script into a few jokes and visual gags. He also manages great chemistry with his co-stars with such little rehearsal time, which is remarkable, and his song-and-dance number “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” with the equally excellent Tartaglia, Linn-Baker, and Kravits is a comic highlight.  Tartaglia especially seems to be reveling in his part as the excitable Hysterium, giving a stand-out performance. There are also strong turns from Hackmann as the haughty, full-of-himself Miles Gloriosus, who has come to claim his bride but would probably marry himself if he could; and by Reichert as the determined, goofily earnest Erronius. As the thwarted young lovers Hero and Philia, Smith and Ewoldt are excellent, as well, with Ewoldt especially funny and in great voice. There’s also a trio of Proteans–Marcus Choi, Justin Keyes, and Tommy Scrivens–who play a number of roles throughout the production and bring a lot of laughs in the process; and six elaborately costumed courtesans (Khori Michelle Petinaud, Katelyn Prominksi, Emily Hsu, Lainie Sakakura, Justina Aveyard, and Molly Callinan) who also contribute to the humor and energy of the show.

This isn’t as big a cast as is usually seen at the Muny, but they fill the stage well, as does the colorful, evocative set by Tim Mackabee, representing the three prominent houses and providing an ideal setting for the action. There are also vibrant costumes by Mara Blumenfeld, wigs by John Metzner, and lighting by Rob Denton,  contributing to the Roman atmosphere as well as the slapstick tone. The staging is brisk and sprightly, with some energetic choreography by Alex Sanchez adding to the overall madcap atmosphere.

This is a funny show. The title doesn’t lie. It’s a kind of show that brings in a lot of old-style comic elements, with some memorable Sondheim songs and a great cast. Kudos again to Jeffrey Schecter for giving such a strong, assured performance on such short notice. I’m sure his portrayal will get even stronger as the show goes on. It’s another excellent production from the Muny.

Cast of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Photo: The Muny

The Muny is presenting A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum in Forest Park until July 11, 2017.

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