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Regional Reviews: Phoenix A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Also see Gil's reviews of Other Desert Cities and The Whale
Forum is set in ancient Rome when the slave Pseudolus discovers that his master, the young man named Hero, has fallen in love with the girl next door, Philia. The only problem? Philia is a courtesan owned by Marcus Lycus, a buyer and seller of women, and is already sold to another man. So Pseudolus, seeing the opportunity to become a free man, convinces Hero to set him free if he can somehow bring Philia and Hero together. But, of course, since this is a comedy, there are many things that get in the way of Pseudolus winning his freedom. With mistaken identities, slamming doors, and other farce like moments—and a large dose of sexual hijinks—Forum is a bawdy comedy with a top notch book and an excellent Sondheim score. For this production, director Sara Bernstein decided to make one significant change—updating the setting to modern day Las Vegas. And guess what? It actually works. Vegas is seen as the melting pot of debauchery, with a mix of gambling and prostitution set amongst beautiful resorts with casinos and high-end shops, and people from all over the world in attendance. So Lycus is now a pimp with a New York Italian accent, Hero's mom is turned into a shopaholic transplant from Long Island (thick accent intact) and Pseudolus and his fellow slave Hysterium are now suit-wearing servants, with Hysterium also sporting an impeccable English accent. The usual location of three houses on a street in ancient Rome becomes the lobby and a corridor of three rooms at the Caesars Palace resort. Except for the addition of a couple of ad libs, the dialogue and book haven't been changed at all. And, while there are a few lines that don't quite fit with this updated setting, especially the continual reference to "slaves" as well as the repeated mention of the ancient Roman form of money, the modern setting and humorous characters goes hand in hand with Shevelove and Gelbart's satirical book. For the most part, the cast is up to the challenge of not only the fast-paced farce-like nature of the script, but also the sophisticated lyrics of the score. As Pseudolus, Matthew Harris has a nice comic ability, a rich and powerful singing voice, and is extremely likeable. He sets the silly and fun tone of the show right from the start in leading the zany "Comedy Tonight" opener and also makes the many vaudeville-esc obstacles that Pseudolus encounters in his fight to be "free" appear to be naturally unpredictable and not scripted and old fashioned shtick, which of course they are. As the young lovers Hero and Philia, Lee Pitts and Marissa Vatsky are perfectly naïve and charmingly adorable and sweet. Both have very nice singing voices and Vatsky does a fine job in portraying the dumb innocent. Her skilled and well directed use of empty glances and confused expressions get many laughs. Doug Edwards is Senex, Hero's father, and he has no problems in portraying this "dirty old man" who believes that Philia wants him. Edwards has nice comic chops, a sure stage presence, and a steady and strong signing voice. Scot Claus makes Marcus Lycus a tough talking New York Italian, who hilariously becomes scared and terrified once he encounters the wrath of Miles Gloriosus, the warrior who bought Philia. Claus is having a ball playing this character, and his thick accent and stereotypical, yet comical, Italian mannerisms and swagger make him fun to watch. He also shines in the funny "The House of Marcus Lycus" number that introduces all of the girls for sale. As Domina and Hysterium, Senex's battle-ax of a wife and Pseudolus' fellow slave, Sue Stegemoller and Glenn Parker have impressive comic abilities, and they perfectly use the accents they've chosen for their characters to humorous effects. I just wish their voices were better, as each one has a solo song and they aren't quite up to the vocal challenges of the score. Corey Gimlin, who scored nicely as the young, innocent teen Tommy in Scottsdale Musical Theater Company's The Music Man last fall, is a fairly young Miles Gloriosus, but still manages to effectively portray this tough character. He has a solid stage presence, an impressive voice and no problems showing the funny side of this strong character. David Heap, in the smaller role of Erronius, successfully finds humor in his few lines. The courtesans (Alena Hassan, Sedona Tracey, Haley Johnson, Keri Orcutt, Ashlee Renee and Jessica Wells,) each of whom gets an individual moment to shine during "The House of Marcus Lycus," are funny and charming and manage to turn their characters into individuals. The Proteans (Jonathan Perry-Brown, Spencer Claus, Frank Emnett, Austin Kelley and Jacob Nalley) play numerous roles and add the appropriate level of zaniness to the proceedings. Bernstein scores well in her direction of the large cast and in her ability to coordinate the hilarious farcical chase scene in the second act with plenty of slamming doors and perfectly timed entrances. Her idea to have a set of elevator doors in the hallway is a nice modern touch and adds a contemporary spin to the multiple slamming doors that this farce necessitates. Choreography by Kat Baines is fine, though a little too frantic and unfocused in the numbers that require the entire cast. Dillon Girgenti's set design is simple yet effective and Lauri Mershon's costumes perfectly tie in to each character's updated persona. Music director Reynaldo Saenz does an impressive job leading the four-piece orchestra. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a classic musical comedy and the Desert Foothills production manages to impressively deliver the fast and funny humor of the book along with some lovely renditions of the Sondheim score. A notable cast, tight direction and an updated setting add to the joy of seeing this Tony winning show in a new and modern light. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Desert Foothills Theater, runs through March 2nd at the Cactus Shadows Fine Art Center, 33606 N. 60th Street in Scottsdale. Tickets can be purchased at www.desertfoothillstheater.org or by calling 480 488-1981 Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart Cast (in order of appearance):
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