Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A

Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A (1962), a musical comedy by Burt Shevelove, Larry Gelbart (book), Stephen Sondheim (music, lyrics).[Alvin Theatre, 967 perf.; Tony Award.] The Roman slave Pseudolus ( Zero Mostel) attempts to earn his freedom by procuring the sexy, but brainless, courtesan Philia ( Preshy Marker) for his young master, Hero ( Brian Davies). Hero's own father, Senex ( David Burns), also has his eye on the girl, but the dashing Miles Gloriosus ( Ronald Holgate) apparently has first claim, as he has purchased her from brothel owner Lycus ( John Carradine). Pseudolus spreads the word that Philia has contracted the plague and died, and the mock funeral degenerates into a wild chase. When Miles learns that Philia is his sister, he gives her to Hero and Pseudolus is set free at last. Notable songs: Comedy Tonight; Free; Lovely; Everybody Ought to Have a Maid. Based very loosely on material in Plautus, the Hal Prince–produced musical was described by Howard Taubman of the Times as “noisy, coarse, blue and obvious like the putty on a burlesque comedian.” Other fine clowns in the cast included Jack Gilford as the hysterical Hysterium and Raymond Walburn as the doddering Erronius. The show was the first for which Sondheim composed both lyrics and music, demonstrating from the start that, whatever his gift for melody, it was as a lyricist that he excelled. Broadway revivals in 1973 with Phil Silvers and 1992 with Nathan Lane as Pseudolus were both popular, and the musical remains a favorite in amateur theatres across the country.