Based on the plays Miles Gloriosus, Pseudolus, and Mostellaria by Plautus (251-183 B.C.)
This hysterical musical features a beloved score by Stephen Sondheim and an uproarious book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. The musical's original Broadway production won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book. Forum has also enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum tells the bawdy story of Pseudolus, a slave in ancient Rome, who goes to great lengths to gain his freedom by securing a courtesan for his young master, Hero. Scheming slaves, mistaken identities and courtesans each with their own gimmick deliver on the promise of the famous opening number, that there will be comedy tonight.
This time, the reader question was: How often are people Tony Award-nominated for different shows in the same season?
In celebration of 90 years of Theatre By The Sea, owner and producer Bill Hanney presents the Tony Award-winning smash hit Jersey Boys, which will be presented from August 9 – September 10, 2023.
Lyric Stage will present A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in concert May 12-15, 2022 at Dallas' historic Majestic Theatre.
Just last week, The Music Man marched back to Broadway- the latest revival of a show from musical theatre's most glorious time- the Golden Age. What was the Golden Age of Broadway all about and what years did it cover? Study up!
PEN America today announces the presenters introducing the 2022 Literary Awards' three career achievement honorees, and the performers who will take the stage at New York City's Town Hall (123 W. 43rd St.) for the momentous celebration of this year's most resonant literature, held on February 28 as an in-person event hosted by Emmy Award-winning late night host Seth Meyers.
The Broadway community mourns the loss of prolific composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who passed away on November 26, 2021 at age 91. To commemorate his life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners dimmed the lights of Broadway theatres in New York for one minute today, December 8 at exactly 6:30pm.
The Broadway community mourns the loss of prolific composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who passed away on November 26, 2021 at age 91. To commemorate his life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of Broadway theatres in New York for one minute on Wednesday, December 8 at exactly 6:30pm.
Lyric Stage Reopens & Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary of Majestic Theatre
The 28th season will kick off with a Best of Broadway concert this October.
Today's Theater Stories features the Majestic Theatre! Learn about some of the best-known shows to grace the stage of the Majestic Theatre, including Carousel, South Pacific, Camelot, Phantom of the Opera, and many more!
The 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards will celebrate the life and legacy of American theater producer and director Harold 'Hal' Prince with the Drama Desk's newly established lifetime achievement honor.
BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best musical theatre characters from 1940-2020; see if your favorites are on our list of the best characters from Broadway musicals.
How do we make a list of the 101 greatest show tunes from the past 100 years? Well, we did the near-impossible task. Check out our full list here!
The Broadway community mourns the loss of prolific producer, director, writer, and the individual recipient of the most Tony Awards in multiple categories in history, Harold Prince, who passed away on July 31, 2019 at age 91. To commemorate his life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of Broadway theatres in New York for one minute on Wednesday, July 31 at exactly 7:45pm.
When it comes to Tony Award snubbing, there are several artistic high crimes and misdemeanors. For instance, Fiorello! winning Best Musical over Gypsy, or the good Music Man besting the better West Side Story. Or how about this awful upset: Two Gentlemen of Verona (the since-forgotten musical) beating both Grease and Follies for the top honor. Perhaps worst of all is this: Even though A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM was Stephen Sondheim's first and most successful Broadway show as a composer and lyricist, and even though it would win six of its eight nominated Tony Awards in 1962-1963 (including Best Musical), Mr. Sondheim himself was not even nominated for his lyrics and score. A show that features some of the most beloved comic songs from the early 1960's--'Comedy Tonight,' 'Lovely,' and 'Everybody Ought to Have a Maid'--wasn't even nominated for these iconic numbers. (For the record, Oliver! won that year for Best Score.) Broadway's greatest composer would have to wait almost a decade to receive his first Tony Award.
BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that composer and orchestrator Sid Ramin, best known for his work on West Side Story, has died, according to The New York Times. Ramin was 100 years old.
The Minty Organization for the Performing Arts, the non-profit which oversees The Minty Awards, has announced honorees for the 6th Minty Awards Dinner Gala to be held Thursday, January 17 at 7:00pm at Nicotra's Ballroom, The Hilton Garden Inn.
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the independent, not-for-profit affiliate of SDC, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, today announced unique plans for its 2019 award evening, which will feature original choreographic pieces resulting from a special commissioning program, with the application period now open. SDCF also announced that Victoria Traube would receive a special 'Mr. Abbott' Award at the event, to be held March 25 at the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF).
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the independent, not-for-profit affiliate of SDC, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, today announced unique plans for its 2019 award evening, which will feature original choreographic pieces resulting from a special commissioning program, with the application period now open. SDCF also announced that Victoria Traube would receive a special 'Mr. Abbott' Award at the event, to be held March 25 at the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF).
The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF), New York's premier French cultural institution, today announced Crossing The Line Festival 2018, featuring leading international artists in a wide-ranging program of events, performances, and exhibitions from September 18 to October 13, 2018. Tickets are now available at crossingthelinefestival.org.
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay homage to the glittering world of Hollywood musicals with Mad About Musicals!, a special month of programming celebrating timeless movie musicals such as The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain and Cabaret. TCM is once again partnering with Ball State University and Canvas to offer a free online multimedia course tied to this programming special about the history of the musical genre and its evolution with cultural and technological shifts. Enrollment is open until June 17 and fans can sign up for the course at musicals.tcm.com.
Music Theater Works (formerly Light Opera Works) presents the Gilbert and Sullivan classic, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston, June 9 through 17. A 26-piece orchestra accompanies such well-known songs as "Poor Wand'ring One," "Oh, Better Far to Live and Die" and "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General."
In 2002, The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre opened its season with a set of new owners and the hilarious musical comedy farce A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Sixteen years later, the Kiska family, who purchased the theatre in 2002, and Way Off Broadway are very excited to see the return of one of the funniest shows to ever appear on the WOB stage. Forum will continue the theatre's 2018 Mega-Mini Season, running March 23rd - May 19th.
Theatres have a way of becoming an artist's second home. It doesn't matter if you are a director, designer, actor, or volunteer the countless hours you invest and the close proximity in which you do your work often create friendships that last a lifetime. And each time you step back through those doors you feel like you're coming home. No one knows this to be true more than Joseph Leo Bwarie, whose current home away from home is the Garry Marshall Theatre in Toluca Lake. Bwarie has been connected with the theatre (known formerly as The Falcon) and the Marshall family for many years, and he recently stepped into a co-artistic directorship of the newly-rechristened theatre, along with another longtime Marshall associate, Dimitri Toscas.
Walnut Street Theatre opens its landmark 209th season with the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Directed by, and starring, Frank Ferrante, with choreography by Michelle Gaudette, this production begins previews on September 5th, opens on September 13th and runs through October 22nd on the Walnut's Mainstage.
Walnut Street Theatre opens its landmark 209th season with the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Directed by, and starring, Frank Ferrante, with choreography by Michelle Gaudette, this production begins previews on September 5th, opens on September 13th and runs through October 22nd on the Walnut's Mainstage.
1962 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
1963 | West End |
London Production West End |
1963 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
1971 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
1972 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
1986 | West End |
London Revival West End |
1987 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
1991 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
1996 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2004 | West End |
Royal National Theatre Production West End |
2017 | St. Louis, MO (Regional) |
The Muny Revival St. Louis, MO (Regional) |
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