A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM by Carol Kaufman Segal

             A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, was written by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.  The musical opened on Broadway May 8, 1962, and closed on August 29, 1964, after 964 performances.  It won a Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Author (of a musical) and was made into a film in 1966.  It is still entertaining and hilarious today, and the production, playing at the Garry Marshall Theatre, proves it.

            We go back many years during the time of the Roman Empire where the slave, Pseudolus (an amazing Paul C. Vogt), owned by Senex (Kevin Symons) and his wife Domina (Candi Milo), longs to be free.  When Pseudolus is left in charge of their son Hero (Michael Thomas Grant), he discovers (“through the grapevine”) that Hero is in love with the beautiful courtesan Philia (Nicole Kaplan), and offers to help him win her hand for his freedom.

            When Pseudolus tries to buy Philia from the owner of the brothel, Marcus Lycus, he is told that she has already been sold to Marcus Gloriosus (Clayton Snyder), and that is when the hilarity and bedlam begins.  Pseudolus will try anything to win the girl for Hero and freedom for himself!

            The opening number, Comedy Tonight, is a precursor to the entire show, because it is a comedy from beginning to end, held up by a splendid cast that also includes Shamicka Benn, Liz Bustle, Ethan Cohn, and E.K. Dagenfield, under the direction of Joseph Leo Bwarie. (Joey McIntyre performs the role of Pseudolus Nov.22 through Dec. 10.)       

            A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum plays Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM and 7:30 PM, through Dec. 31, at the Garry Marshall Theatre, 4252 Riverside Dr., Burbank.  Tickets are available by calling (818) 955-8108, or online at GarryMarshalTheatre.org.

            

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