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‘Forum’ puts fun on Porter Theatre stage

By Diana Lasko dlasko@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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The stage is set for Roman farcical comedy when the Greater Connellsville Community Center presents the hilarious musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at the Edwin Porter Theatre Aug. 12-14.

“What I love about this show is the definitely the comedy and how funny the show actually is. I’m a huge Stephen Sondheim fan and this is one of his most catchy works,” said Director Jonathan Rohlf. “So you mix comedy with Sondheim and the result is awesome.”

Inspired by the farces of playwright Plautus (251-183 BC), the Stephen Sondheim musical comedy tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus (Gene Quinn Harlin) and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master, Hero (Nathan Willey), woo the girl of his dreams Philia (Lexie Rohlf).

When Hero’s parents, Senex (Bill Dreucci) and Domina (Sarah Hamman), leave on a trip, they put Pseudolus in charge of their son and that’s where the fun begins. Hero confides in Pseudolus that he is in love with Philia, a courtesan in the House of Marcus Lycus (Matt Fawcett). Pseudolus seizes the opportunity to help Hero win the young maiden’s love in exchange for his own freedom. But the two men soon discover that Philia has been sold to renowned warrior Captain Miles Gloriosus (Eric Frietas) and he is expected to claim his prize very soon.

But Pseudolus, an excellent liar and complete conniver, will stop at nothing to make sure the lovely Philia winds up in the arms of Hero.

“Through his cunning and guile, Pseudolus becomes a free man. He decides one day that he is going to take advantage of a couple of things that are going on in his town and make a deal that he will trade his services for freedom. By doing this, he goes through a bunch of mishaps and everyone in the town becomes involved. In the end things turn out well for everybody. It’s a very happy, straight-forward comedy,” Rohlf explains.

The bawdiness or humorously risqué nature of ‘Forum’ blends together highly exaggerated elements of a classical farce and vaudevillian style with mistaken identity, puns, potions, slamming doors and satirical comments on social class.

“At any moment someone could dancing or bring out a prop that could be seen as not exactly Roman or period but that’s why it’s so entertaining. It’s more about the performance and getting across just the fun of ‘Forum,'” said Rohlf.

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1962, ‘Forum’ was Sondheim’s first Broadway musical. Among the songs in the score are “Love, I Hear,” “Free,” “Lovely,” “Pretty Little Picture,” “Bring Me My Bride,” “Dirty Old Man,” and “That’ll Show Him.”

Music director Kevin Milliken has wanted to do ‘Forum’ for quite some time and is enjoying Sondheim’s score.

“The orchestration is really interesting, there’s actually no piano. Lots of strings including a harp, woodwinds, brass, it’s unique and challenging,” he said.

Also demanding is the choreography for ‘Forum.’

“It’s a fun challenge to choreograph because the music has nuances big and small for different types of dance,” said Lexie Rholf, the show’s choreographer.

The director has also spent a considerable amount of time playing with text and words to draw out as much humor as possible while allowing the music to set the show’s pace.

“Getting in depth into what Mr. Sondheim has given us in the music.

“He’s a lot like Shakespeare where somewhere within the music , we might have already blocked a scene but once the song comes on you can hear little embellishes and that’s one of those neat little clues that adds to a scene,” said Rohlf.

Directing ‘Forum’ and bringing it to the stage has been an enjoyable experience for Rohlf and one he thinks the audience will find enjoyable and laugh-out-loud funny.

“The story is important to us but it’s just a map the characters follow to get to the end, but it’s not a straight path–it’s a twisting, turning, hilarious, fun musical path,” he said.

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