[NEohioPAL] Berko review: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (Porthouse)

[Roy Berko]

A fun, “A FUNNY THING’
lights up Porthouse Stage!
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member, American Theatre
Critics Association)
 
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From the time I saw ‘A
FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM,’ several days after its 1962
opening, it’s been my “feel good” musical.  Whenever I need a happy fix, I put on the cd.  Just hearing Steven Sondheim’s music
and lyrics to “Comedy Tonight,” “Free,” “Lovely,” and “Pretty Little Picture,”
makes even the most overcast day glow.
 
‘A FUNNY THING’ is now on
stage at the Porthouse Theatre.  Though not a perfect production, nothing that director Terri Kent and
her cast do, diminishes my love of the show.  
 
Inspired by
the farces of ancient Roman playwrights,
its a bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master
woo the girl next door.   In
this case, the girl next door isn’t a sweet innocent, but a virgin prostitute
(go figure).  The show contains all
the elements of farce.  Yes, there are lots of double sexual
entendres,  slamming of doors,
mistaken identities, unrealistic plot twists, and the freedom for actors to
just let loose and do vaudeville shticks. 
 
The Broadway
production won several Tony Awards,
including Best Musical and Best Book.  It ran nearly 1000 performances and has had many revivals and evolved
into a successful movie.
 
Broadway
legends about the show include that the show's creators originally wanted Phil Silvers in the lead
role, but he turned them down, allegedly because he would have to perform
onstage without his glasses, and his vision was so poor that he feared tripping
into the orchestra pit. Milton Berle also nixed the project.  Then,
along came Zero Mostel,
who not only was the show’s star, but became a Broadway legend for not only
this show, but for his Tevya in ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.’
 
This was Sondheim’s first Broadway
attempt at writing both words and music and opened the doors for another star
to emerge.
 
Porthouse’s
production is delightful.  Nick
Koesters makes the role of Pseudolus his.  This is not a Mostel imitation.  He plays with the words, the lyrics, the audience. 
 
Eric van
Baars’ creative choreography helps with the quick pace, visual hysteria and
general fun mood as did Rayna Middleton’s costume designs.
 
Koesters is
well supported by J. P Makowski as Hysterium, who lives up to his hysterical
character name, and Marc Moritz as Senex, a hen-pecked husband. Sarah Roussos,
she of beautiful face and glorious voice, as Philia, the virgin, adds the right
touch of fun with her wide-eyed stupidity.  The male dancers were great, as was Mark Monday, as the old
man in search of his lost children.  He got cheers for doing nothing more than stumbling across the stage and
counting the number of times he “walked around the city.”
 
On the other
hand, though he has a great voice, Benjamin Czarnota didn’t totally sell his
uber-machoness as Miles Gloriosus, the Roman general.  Melissa Owens wasn’t shrewy enough as Domina and Brian
Duncan, who has a very pleasing voice, wasn’t beguiling enough as Hero, giving
a surface level performance. Jonathan Swoboda’s musical direction was
highlighted by some squealing brass, especially in the overture.
 
In spite of
the minor flaws, the results are so fun-making that a woman behind me moaned,
between howls, “I think I just wet my pants from laughing.”  My 13 year old grandson was grinning
from ear to ear as he watched the hysterics.  
 
CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  ‘A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO
THE FORUM’ is a great summer entertainment and the production calls out for
going to the theatre and having a good time!  It’s worth attending for no other reason than seeing Nick
Koesters, do his “thing.”
 
‘A FUNNY THING HAPPENED
ON THE WAY TO THE FOURM” runs until  June 27 at Porthouse Theatre .  For tickets call 330-672-3884 or go online to www.porthousetheatre.com.
 
The
rest of the Porthouse summer season is:  ‘THE ODD COUPLE’ (JULY 2-18) and ‘ANNIE GET YOUR GUN’ (July 23-August
9)..  
 Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2009, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info

His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)