Broward Stage Door Theatre Presents A FUNNY THING HAPPENED... in Two Locations

By: Kelsey Denette Sep. 22, 2011

What do you get when you cross Roman farce with classic vaudeville? Timeless, laugh-out-loud comedy!

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," the widely acclaimed, multiple Tony Award-winning musical, is now showing in the Stage Door's flagship theatre in Coral Springs though October 09, and then moves to their Miami Beach location and opens October 14.

The show made its Broadway debut in 1962 with music and lyrics by a relative newcomer, Stephen Sondheim. Based on a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, it was inspired by the farces of ancient Roman playwright Plautus. That first engagement, comprised of almost 1,000 performances, has been followed by several revivals as well as a movie.

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" has earned Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Book and Best Director. In fact, every actor who has starred in the musical - Zero Mostel, Phil Silver, and Nathan Lane - has won a Tony.

The plot of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is simple: a slave named Pseudolus tries to earn his freedom by helping his young master, Hero, win the hand of the comely (and, of course, virginal) courtesan Philia, betrothed to another. The ensuing machinations, including gender-crossing disguises and cases of mistaken identity, are both mind-boggling and side-splitting. The running satirical commentary on social class is as relevant as ever.

In the Stage Door production, the lead role of Pseudolus is reprised by Dan Kelley, a 25-year veteran of South Florida theater, Silver Palm award-winner for Best Actor/Best Director in a Musical and Carbonell-nominated for Actor and Director. Other cast members include Shane Tanner as Miles Gloriosus, Ken Clement as Senex, Lauren Cupples as Philia, Andrew Betz as Hero, Rachel Lomax as Gymnasia, Sarah Lichty as Vibrata and Ricky Dain Jones as Hysterium.

Vaudeville comedians were fond of opening their shows by saying, "A funny thing happened on the way to the theater." Audiences at the Stage Door Theatre will be saying that the funniest thing is what happened in the theater. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" delivers what the opening song promises: "Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone: a comedy tonight!

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