One of my Christmas presents was the tickets to the Shakespeare theatre for the musical “A Funny Thing happened on the Way to the Forum.” This show takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from the comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the energy of vaudeville. Forum first came to Broadway in 1962, and the music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart have held up remarkably well for 50 years.
A unique revival of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” has produced a wonderfully fresh staging of the familiar musical. Director Alan Paul’s cast moves about quickly and never lets the physical comedy distract too much from the overall story.
The musical is playing on the Sidney Harman Stage of the Shakespeare theatre.
The entrance to Sidney Harman Hall.
We had some free time before the show, so we took some pictures of the theater’s lobby.
The stage from the first row (sneak pic). 🙂
Set in ancient Rome and adapted from the Roman comedies of Plautus, Forum tells the ribald story of a slave named Pseudolus who attempts to win his freedom by assisting his youthful master win the heart of the beautiful courtesan next door. It is not an easy task for Pseudolus, especially since the ditzy blonde’s hand is promised to a powerful warrior, but Pseudolus gets help along the way from friends and neighbors — plus a great deal of luck.
The setup for the story comes through the familiar song “Comedy Tonight,” where we are introduced to the characters of the farce. The quick-witted opening number provides sight gags, puns, and plenty of asides, which of course is what drives the musical. Once finished, Pseudolus welcomes the audience and motions for the play to begin.
Photography is not allowed in the theatre, so here are a few pics from the web.
From georgetowner.com
From georgetowner.com
From mdtheatreguide.com
From broadwayworld.com
We finished our evening out at the Asian Spice restaurant, which offers delicious food and a nice relaxing atmosphere.
