“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”

July 22-Aug. 7
Athenaeum

I could sit at the typewriter for a year without coming up with a better description of the musical “A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum” than the one contained in its own opening number. In “Comedy Tonight,”
the cast sings “No Trojan horse. No royal curse. And a happy ending of course.”
It also says “Bring on the liars, lovers and clowns.”

And “Morals tomorrow, comedy tonight.”

The show, subtitled, “A scenario for vaudevillians,” contains arguably the funniest musical book ever (co-written
by Larry Gelbart, of “Tootsie” and TV’s “M*A*S*H) and a remarkably playful score by Stephen Sondheim.

Here, in the role made famous by Nathan Lane, will be actress Claire Wilcher. This won’t be the first time a woman
has played the role of Pseudolus, the enterprising slave who sets the ancient-Roman-by-way-of-vaudeville plot in motion in
“Forum.” Whoopi Goldberg inherited the part from Nathan Lane in the most recent Broadway incarnation. Wilcher
leads a cast that includes familiar locals Scot Greenwell and Karlton D. Turner. Details here.