Monday, July 14, 2008

WaterTower Theatre opens A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum this week

By Pegasus News wire

WaterTower Theatre continues its 2007-2008 season with Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The show will be directed by WaterTower Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin and will run July 17 – August 10.

A wily slave schemes, cajoles and manipulates all of ancient Rome to win his freedom in this uproarious musical farce by Stephen Sondheim. Hailed as one of the American musical theatre’s comedic masterpieces, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum combines a swaggering general, a dippy maiden, a doddering old man and a stable of sexy courtesans in a high-energy, high-jinx combination of vaudeville and burlesque.

“Forum is based on the ancient comedies of Plautus, but I think it has more to do with the mindset of pre-Beatles America than the morals of ancient Rome,” says Martin. “Think 1962. Don't think Caesar: think Caesar's Palace. Think Jackie Gleason, Milton Berle and Phil Silvers. While some may view the show as misogynistic, let’s must remember when it was written. Its view of sex is very true to late 50s-early 60s America. The guys in this show have inflated opinions of themselves and are hardly the ‘players’ they dream of being. The real joke in Forum is on the men.”

The production will feature returning WTT actors Andy Baldwin, Gordon Fox, Shane Peterman, Ryan Roach, David Stroh and Kimberly Whalen. Making their WTT debuts are Michael S. Bahr, Kellie Carroll, Christine Cunningham, Amanda Durbin, Sean Patrick Henry, Brynne Huffman, Michael Madrinkian, Susan Mansur, Jennifer Obeney, Kristen Smith, Brett Thiele and Angel Velasco. Scenic design is by Randel Wright, lighting design is by David Natinsky, and costume design is by Aaron Patrick Turner.

Performance times are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available by calling the WTT Box Office at 972-450-6232.

Posted by Shawn

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