Larry Gelbart News

Ted Sod, Education Dramaturg, sat down with Douglas Hodge to talk to him about his title role in Cyrano de Bergerac.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) presents Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon and directed by Steven Woolf. This intriguing and semi-autobiographical play will be performed on the Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road (on the campus of Webster University), Webster Groves, September 5-30, 2012.

Set aside all of your 21st century politically correct notions and feminist fury for a moment and go see 'A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.' This show is guaranteed to make you laugh, but you better hurry because it's only here through August 19th.

Ultimísimo tramo de la recta final de Follies en el Teatro Español. Dos únicas funciones para llegar a la gran (y doble) despedida. La última representación del musical, que se celebrará el próximo sábado, será el punto culminante, definitivo y definitorio, de la era de Mario Gas como máximo responsable artístico de las cuatro salas en las que se enmarca la sede cultural. Nadie dudaba del talento de los nombres que acreditan el espectáculo.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces that the company's acclaimed World Premiere production of The Outgoing Tide, by Bruce Graham and directed by BJ Jones, will be presented in association with Galway Arts Festival in Galway, Ireland, today, July 17 - July 21, 2012. Cast members John Mahoney, Rondi Reed and Thomas J. Cox, are set to reprise the roles they originated in the Northlight production.

Robert Falls' major revival of THE ICEMAN COMETH will not take a Broadway bow, the theatre confirmed to the Chicago Tribune this morning.

Long considered one of America's premier community theater groups, Bergen County Players (BCP) is proud to announce for 2012-13 another ambitious, passionate and playful year of audience-pleasing musicals and innovative plays for its 80th consecutive season. From toe-tapping musicals to hilarious comedies to intense dramas, BCP has garnered a reputation for outstanding quality productions at affordable prices. The new season kicks off with one of the most beloved musicals of all time, The Music Man. Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, BCP's 80th season opener will feature a live orchestra and a cast of over 30.

Geoffrey Rush will lead John Frost's production of Sondheim's A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM when it opens in Melbourne Saturday, October 27 at Her Majesty's Theatre. The show will be directed by Simon Phillips and will feature a cast of Australian comedy actors, according to funnything.com.au.

Producer Scott Rudin, who holds the rights to produce the show on Broadway, has decided not to stage the Goodman Theatre production on the Great White Way.

Silly, fun and farcical, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum is a delightful musical theater diversion, certain to entertain and delight. Brought to the stage in a Keeton Theatre production directed by Kate Adams, with music direction by Ginger Newman, the Stephen Sondheim- Burt Shevelove-Larry Gelbart confection packs as much of a laugh-filled wallop in 2012 as it did when it first premiered on Broadway almost 50 years ago, proving that a well-written and conceived show just never grows old.

Park Square Theatre offers its first Neil Simon play, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, a semi-autobiographical romp behind the scenes at the fictional 1950s "Max Prince Show," starting tonight, June 1st. The comedy writers work to outshine each other while Max worries about the network executives and the future of his television show.

TheatreZone opens Season 8 in December with A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum. Broadway's great farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written -- the perfect escape from life's troubles. With Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics by the legendary Stephen Sondheim, Forum takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty slave (Pseudolus) struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan (Philia) for his young master (Hero), in exchange for freedom.

Buck Creek Players (BCP), the award-winning all-volunteer community theater on the southeast side of Indianapolis, is today announced the 39th season of quality theater, In the Spotlight, as they present six entertaining productions for 2012-2013.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces that the company's acclaimed World Premiere production of The Outgoing Tide, by Bruce Graham and directed by BJ Jones, will be presented in association with Galway Arts Festival in Galway, Ireland, July 17 - 21, 2012. Cast members John Mahoney, Rondi Reed and Thomas J. Cox, are set to reprise the roles they originated in the Northlight production.

TheatreZone opens Season 8 in December with A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum. Broadway's great farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written -- the perfect escape from life's troubles. With Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics by the legendary Stephen Sondheim, Forum takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty slave (Pseudolus) struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan (Philia) for his young master (Hero), in exchange for freedom.

Today in 1962, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opened at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre), where it ran for 964 performances. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus, specifically Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria, the musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The musical's original 1963 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book. A Funny Thing has enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical, Zero Mostel.

TheatreZone opens Season 8 in December with A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum. Broadway's great farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written -- the perfect escape from life's troubles. With Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics by the legendary Stephen Sondheim, Forum takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty slave (Pseudolus) struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan (Philia) for his young master (Hero), in exchange for freedom.

With stage direction by Wade Willis and musical direction by Alan D. Lytle, City of Angels, a deliciously funny spoof of 1940s film noir and hard-boiled detective fiction, opens Friday, May 4 and continues through Sunday, June 10, 2012. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 7:00 PM (May 6, 13 and 20), and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM (May 13, 27 and June 3 and 10). The show sponsor is The Richard & Janet Geary Foundation.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents Ten Chimneys by Jeffrey Hatcher, directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones. The production runsMarch 9 - April 15, 2012 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd. The press opening is on Friday, March 16, 2012.

Park Square Theatre offers its first Neil Simon play, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, a semi-autobiographical romp behind the scenes at the fictional 1950s "Max Prince Show," starting June 1st. The comedy writers work to outshine each other while Max worries about the network executives and the future of his television show.