By Eva Phillips
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is one of those shows that vividly proves that the Greco-Romans of the B.C. era really knew how to live with drama nerd flair. This seems like a pretty patently provable claim if you think about it—consider the pompous flamboyance of gladiator fights; think of the wild histrionics of Sextus and his friends in our Ecce Romani textbooks. So, when Stephen Sondheim (of course) created the quintessentially bonkers musical A Funny Thing.., he was really showing the Romans in their best, gaudiest light.
The team at Apple Hill Playhouse is well-suited for a show that is replete with vintage panache and musical showboating like A Funny Thing…. The story is a classic, perfectly convoluted romp—which is so often the case with Sondheim, who manages to construct stories that make perfect sense in how absolutely nonsensical they are: Appropriately-named Hero (Troy Dinga), a swooning, bumbling son of a powerful mayor, falls madly in love with a woman, Philia (Vanessa Clarke-Deaver), whom he sees in a window of a brothel (how most meaningful relationships begin, honestly). The love is forbidden for a number of reasons, but Hero’s predicament is tantalizing to his father’s ever-conniving servant, Pseudolus (Nathaniel Yost), who sees the chance to swindle the head of the brothel, Marcus Lycus (Ken Cooper), and get Hero his love as a prime bartering tool for his freedom. This is, as one might anticipate, easier said than done, as Philia has been purchased (woof) by the fearsome, tyrannical Miles (Joel Knepshield), and he is fast approaching to “claim” his bride. Oh, and to compound things further, Hero’s sleazy father, Senex (John Paul Ritchley), unwittingly stumbles into the passionate embrace of Philia when he returns home early from a venture—making Pseudolus’ contrived plan all the more ludicrously, and hilariously, complicated.
As Director and Lead Choreographer, Erin Stetor-Seaborg juggles a tremendous amount of hectic back-and-forth and conceptual/plot maneuvering with aplomb. While the show could’ve have benefited on cutting down from or tightening some of the original material (it’s a very full, near two and half hours), Seaborg’s direction pushed through the dense, all-over-the-place musical with plucky determination. In regards to the material (and to the benefit of tightening the show), some of the original material could stand to be, shall we say, amended and updated—for example, an entire number dedicated to “every house needing a maid,” which relies upon themes and innuendos that effectively boil down to misogyny, abusive power dynamics, and sexual harassment, could have been completely excised to no detriment to the show whatsoever. Similar instances of outdated and problematic suggestiveness and implications surface throughout the show, which certainly can be chalked up to the wanton disregard for nearly everyone that wasn’t straight, male and hegemonic that was commonplace in the ancient world (and in Sondheim’s world as well)—but a revamp of material poses an interesting and necessary challenge to any team taking on A Funny Thing Happened….
The cast assembled for Apple Hill Playhouse’s latest production handles the material masterfully. As the scheming, beguiling Pseudolus, Nathaniel Yost is outstanding—he possesses an innate comedic timing and vibrance that cannot be taught or learned. John Paul Ritchey as Senex and Ron Ferrara as Erronius are delights to watch, taking charge with the comfort of pros of the stage. Vocally, Joel Knepshield is mightily gifted, and with a bit more surefootedness in his non-musical moments, he will be an absolute force to be reckoned with on stage. Finally, Nick Konopka and Gabriel List earn thunderous applause, literally and metaphorically, for endlessly hustling and embodying a slew of bit roles, each of which they take on with distinct mannerisms and hilarity.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum runs through August 4th at the Apple Hill Playhouse in Delmont. For tickets and more information, visit their site.
Categories: Archived Reviews