Howard Payne University begins its theatrical season with a wonderfully comical musical, “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum,” which will be a part of their Homecoming celebration. Director/choreographer Dr. Nancy Jo Humfeld stated that this was one of her all-time favorite musicals – one that she returned to see multiple times after her first viewing – including the final performance of that first run in which she had to battle the pouring rain. “It was so much fun and the performers were marvelous. The songs are delightful and the story keeps you laughing all the way to the end.”
“A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum,” one of Broadway’s most brilliantly conceived musical comedies opened in May, 1962. Inspired by plays of the second century B.C. Roman playwright Plautus, “Forum” is gloriously free of serious moments: the show’s action, dialogue, songs, and dances are the essence of farce: their single goal is to keep the audience laughing deliriously from the first note of the opening number, “Comedy Tonight,” until the final curtain comes down.
The show, which broke from musical comedy tradition by using only one stage set and few changes of costume, has a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart (author of the popular M*A*S*H television series), and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. “I like to say that this is early Sondheim which means that the audience can actually leave the theatre humming the tunes, rather than it being music only the performers can accomplish,” said Humfeld. “Indeed, ’Forum’ was Sondheim’s first Broadway composing credit.” Using characters and incidents from Plautus, who was the most popular comic playwright of his day, the creative team wove an ingenious new plot with an array of hilarious subplots and hysterical complications.
“Forum” is constantly in motion as characters whiz from one ridiculous situation to another and its score is full of wonderful songs which contribute mightily to the merriment and zany action. A marathon vaudeville performed in togas, the original production was directed by George Abbott with choreography and musical staging by Jack Cole. Produced by Harold Prince, it ran for 964 performances, proving that some of the world’s oldest jokes can still delight us and cause us to laugh at ourselves. “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum” won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1963.
Cast members include Timothy Hardy as Pseudolus, the slave who wants to be free, Tucker Hull as Senex, the hen-pecked husband, Alexandra Taliaferro as his wife, Domina, Ben Hohundro as their son Hero, Jared Russell as their slave Hysterium, Taylor Crow as the old-timer Erronius, Timmy Emery as the mighty warrior Miles Gloriosus, Elizabeth Oliver as Philia who is in love with Hero, Jarrod White as Marcus Lycus, the keeper of the courtesans, Katie Dobson, Lindsey Jones, Dorie Walton, Tiffani Peeples, Hannah Jansen, and Judi Parten as the courtesans and Lawrence Martinez, Ben Palmer, and Chris Phelps as the men-of-all-work Proteans.
Performances of “Forum” will be Thursday, October 11th at 7:30, Friday, October 12th at 7:30, Saturday, October 12th at 7:30, and Sunday, October 14th at 2:30. All performances will be in Mims Auditorium on the HPU campus. Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for students and children. Reservations may be made through the box office at 649-8516 or tickets may be purchased at the door.