A Funny Thing Happened on the Way...
...to the Forum
This play is based on the comedic genus of Plautus, and shows this comedy through things like farce, puns, and door slams. Door slams are always funny, right? It is loosely based on three plays, Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria. What a mouthful, huh!
This musical is about a slave Pseudolus, who wants his freedom. When his master and mistress leave for a trip, the door is opened to Pseudolus! Now he can find a way to be something other than a slave, something he has wanted for years. He finds out that his master and mistress's son, Hero, is in love with the neighbor girl. If he can help them fall in love, then he can be freed. It isn't this simple though. She is betrothed. The play gets complicated as the master and mistress return early, there is a fight over a girl, and Pseudolus tries to win his freedom. Can you see why there would be a lot of door slams in this show? And to make this story even better, a lot of the best parts happen during a song.
This spectacular show premiered on Broadway in 1962. The music was written by Stephen Sondheim and the book was written by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. This show won several Tony Awards, including including best musical, best actor, best supporting actor, best book, and best director. Of course this show was good, it was based off of the works of another brilliant playwright!
This play is based on the comedic genus of Plautus, and shows this comedy through things like farce, puns, and door slams. Door slams are always funny, right? It is loosely based on three plays, Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria. What a mouthful, huh!
This musical is about a slave Pseudolus, who wants his freedom. When his master and mistress leave for a trip, the door is opened to Pseudolus! Now he can find a way to be something other than a slave, something he has wanted for years. He finds out that his master and mistress's son, Hero, is in love with the neighbor girl. If he can help them fall in love, then he can be freed. It isn't this simple though. She is betrothed. The play gets complicated as the master and mistress return early, there is a fight over a girl, and Pseudolus tries to win his freedom. Can you see why there would be a lot of door slams in this show? And to make this story even better, a lot of the best parts happen during a song.
This spectacular show premiered on Broadway in 1962. The music was written by Stephen Sondheim and the book was written by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. This show won several Tony Awards, including including best musical, best actor, best supporting actor, best book, and best director. Of course this show was good, it was based off of the works of another brilliant playwright!
Check out the full text of this play here!
Facts About the Show
Here are a little random facts about this Broadway musical!
- It Opened on Broadway May 8, 1962 at the Alvin Theater.
- It was directed by George Abbott and produced by Hal Prince.
- It ran for 964 performances.
- The show's creators wanted Phil Silvers to play the lead role of Pseudolus, but turned them down because he wouldn't be able to wear his glasses during the performance and was worried that he would walk off the stage. (His vision was that poor.)
- The out-of-town pre-Broadway tryouts attracted little business. Once the opening number was changed to "Comedy Tonight" (shown in the video above) the show became a success. I am sure you can see why!
- The song "Love is in the Air," the original show opener, was later used in the show The Birdcage.
- This Broadway Musical was made into a movie! In 1966, a lot of the original Broadway actors revisited their roles for the movie musical!
- The show is set 200 years before the birth of Christ.
