Lake Dillon Theater tackles ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is an old-school Roman slapstick comedy that originally opened on Broadway in 1962 and seems to be revered by people my parents’ age. I commend the Lake Dillon Theatre for tackling this Broadway farce, which clearly hasn’t aged well. Nonetheless, with its high-paced, entertaining witty irreverence, the musical left me laughing out loud and silently singing along to some of the hit songs. I’m a sucker for anything that involves singing and dancing— and the cast delivered on this front and then some.
Directed by Melissa Livingston, this Sondheim musical tells the story of ancient Roman slave Pseudolus (Christopher Seiler) as he schemes to win his freedom by helping his young master Hero (played by Charlie Wehde) win the affections of the beautiful Philia (Claire Frances Sullivan).
The modest set is comprised of three houses in ancient Rome. On the left is the house of Senex, who lives there with wife Domina (Mercedes Perez), son Hero (Charlie Wehde), and several slaves, including head slave Hysterium (Robert Farruggia) and the musical’s main character Pseudolus (Christopher Seiler). The middle house is the house of Lycus, who is a buyer and seller of beautiful women; the other belongs to the ancient Erronius, who is abroad searching for his long-lost children.
All the characters are clad in Roman attire save for Lycus — a traditionally male character played by Emily Whitlow — who appears more like a modern-day real estate agent with her bright pink pantsuit than a Roman brothel owner.
Seiler does a standout job with his performance of Pseudolus. His hilarious facial expressions are reason enough to go see this play. Even when he wasn’t the main point of attraction, I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.
With both music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, the play’s highlight was the performance of “Everybody Ought To Have A Maid.” It was highly entertaining and didn’t feel nearly as awkward or sexist as it could have. Other highlights in the song department included “Lovely” by Wehde and Sullivan and the booming bass of Caleb Hartsfield, playing Captain Miles Gloriosus.
The play makes a few attempts at balancing out the innate sexism of the script, such as Hero lifting his leg every time he smooches Philia. That said, the production may have missed the mark by not tweaking things with just a few further adjustments that could have given a nod to present day.
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