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Arden's 'A Funny Thing Happened'
A man for all Sondheims
LEWIS WHITTINGTON
All the musical and comedic shtick there is, starting from the Roman Day 1, can be found in the Arden’s revival of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, with director Terrence J. Nolen again displaying his grasp of Sondheim and his ability to keep Sondheim relevant. Nolen previously reined in the over-arching elements of both Pacific Overtures and Sweeney Todd to create uncluttered Sondheim. With Forum, Nolen plays this 1962 chestnut big and broad and cracks up those marble columns anew.
In Forum, Sondheim was smart enough to get out of his own way and just provide a serviceable scorer for to an ancient and funny burlesque script from the TV vaudevillian gag writers Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Unlike Funny Thing’s recent Broadway revivals, with Nathan Lane or Whoopi Goldberg in the lead roles, Nolen resists the local star power at his disposal and keeps this an ensemble production.
Heading the cast is another of Zero Mostel’s bastard theater sons, Tony Braithwaite, in a pitch-perfect physical and vocal performance as the conniving slave Pseudolus, trying to buy his freedom by procuring a virgin courtesan Philia (the demure but belting soprano Catherine Dooner) for his master‘s son. The bevy of Roman whores, who could qualify for a sexual cirque gallery, provide a Greek chorus even as they try to ply their one-on-one trade.
Braithwaite played his own comic fiddle in perfect concert with everybody else on stage, but it was hard to take your eyes off him, even with the other distractions running around this piazza. First-rate set and costume design makes this a most handsome production.
Tom Teti does a nice turn as the pimp Lycus, and Richard Ruiz proves that a little chest hair goes a long way in a running travesti gag. (Ruiz turned up in drag at Philadelphia Theatre Company last year and saved the show in Charles Durang’s limp musical, Adrift in Macao.) Jeffrey Coon was vulgarly in great voice as the bilious Centurion (Miles Gloriosus). Philadelphia favorite Tom McCarthy was endearing as always, but his uninspired performance came across like Archie in a toga. Mary Martello similarly provided few comedic— sparks broad or nuanced— as his wife Domina.
Robert McClure, Dave Jadico and Aaron Cromie were a comic trio to behold, whether as bumbling guards, hapless house slaves or mincing eunuchs attending the bordello.
LEWIS WHITTINGTON
All the musical and comedic shtick there is, starting from the Roman Day 1, can be found in the Arden’s revival of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, with director Terrence J. Nolen again displaying his grasp of Sondheim and his ability to keep Sondheim relevant. Nolen previously reined in the over-arching elements of both Pacific Overtures and Sweeney Todd to create uncluttered Sondheim. With Forum, Nolen plays this 1962 chestnut big and broad and cracks up those marble columns anew.
In Forum, Sondheim was smart enough to get out of his own way and just provide a serviceable scorer for to an ancient and funny burlesque script from the TV vaudevillian gag writers Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Unlike Funny Thing’s recent Broadway revivals, with Nathan Lane or Whoopi Goldberg in the lead roles, Nolen resists the local star power at his disposal and keeps this an ensemble production.
Heading the cast is another of Zero Mostel’s bastard theater sons, Tony Braithwaite, in a pitch-perfect physical and vocal performance as the conniving slave Pseudolus, trying to buy his freedom by procuring a virgin courtesan Philia (the demure but belting soprano Catherine Dooner) for his master‘s son. The bevy of Roman whores, who could qualify for a sexual cirque gallery, provide a Greek chorus even as they try to ply their one-on-one trade.
Braithwaite played his own comic fiddle in perfect concert with everybody else on stage, but it was hard to take your eyes off him, even with the other distractions running around this piazza. First-rate set and costume design makes this a most handsome production.
Tom Teti does a nice turn as the pimp Lycus, and Richard Ruiz proves that a little chest hair goes a long way in a running travesti gag. (Ruiz turned up in drag at Philadelphia Theatre Company last year and saved the show in Charles Durang’s limp musical, Adrift in Macao.) Jeffrey Coon was vulgarly in great voice as the bilious Centurion (Miles Gloriosus). Philadelphia favorite Tom McCarthy was endearing as always, but his uninspired performance came across like Archie in a toga. Mary Martello similarly provided few comedic— sparks broad or nuanced— as his wife Domina.
Robert McClure, Dave Jadico and Aaron Cromie were a comic trio to behold, whether as bumbling guards, hapless house slaves or mincing eunuchs attending the bordello.
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