Or so they sing in Stephen Sondheim's "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Based on the book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, the musical comedy is set in ancient Rome and includes everything from a "House of Pleasure" to a heroic Captain Miles Gloriosus (UMass student Josh Chelmo) to metrosexual eunuchs (Nick Brentley '06 and Danny Perez '04). A diverse cast and production staff staged three performances of the musical at the College's Buckley Recital Hall from Jan. 29-31. The Amherst College Orchestra provided accompanying music.
The story begins with the tale of a slave named Pseudolus (Chad Mills '04) who is struggling to deliver the virgin his master Hero (UMass student Cooper Cerulo) has fallen in love with, in exchange for freedom from the bonds of slavery. The only obstacle in Pseudolus' path is Captain Gloriosus, who has already purchased Philia (UMass student Megan Krebs-Morrison) from Marcus Lycus (UMass student Brian Kelly), the buyer and seller of courtesans. Pseudolus' task is further impeded by Hero's parents Senex (UMass student Nicholas Dahlman) and Domina (Scout Durwood '06) and Erronius (UMass student Ed Ahern), a weak old man in search of his son and daughter. His neurotic, nervous friend and fellow slave Hysterium (UMass student Mike Devlin) aids in Pseudolus' crazy plans.
Pseudolus opens the show with "Comedy Tonight," a dynamic song that successfully creates a lively and charming atmosphere that is maintained throughout the show. In another piece, the men sing, "Everybody ought to have a maid, everybody ought to have a serving-girl, a loyal and unswerving girl ..." as they parade around the street gesturing flamboyantly. Another notable number is "Lovely Reprise," in which Pseudolus serenades Hysterium, who is dressed as a woman. Gazing into his friend's eyes and holding him close, Pseudolus calls him "absolutely lovely" and "radiant as in some / dream come true."
Mills and Devlin are the real stand outs of the show. Mills, a playful prankster, plays his part with command and self-assurance, while Devlin's portrayal of an overanxious slave is truly entertaining. Mills and Devlin work to pull the plot together and set the quick-moving pace of the show. Other notable cast members include Durwood and UMass student Nicholas Dahlman, playing Hero's parents. Not all of the actors are as careful in their acting as they could have been, but this does not detract from the atmosphere of fun and laughter.
In stark contrast to the acting ability, the set and costume design looked like the shabby leftovers from a high school play; ancient Rome is essentially a poorly painted house, adorned with a few scattered columns, tacky red and green crinkled paper and plastic flowers. The costumes clashed with each other and are a bit too abstract for my taste.
The make-up is greatly exaggerated and gaudy; however, this proves to be perfectly appropriate for this musical. The choreography is fun and features somersaults, sexy dance routines from the girls of the house of Marcus Lycus and even babies (or rather, dolls that look like babies) who are thrown into the air. The music, performed live by the orchestra, is not overbearing and flows extremely well with the events on stage.
According to Mark Lane Swanson, the music director and producer of the show, this particular musical is especially great because it is "classic, funny and literate, which is ideal for a school like Amherst College." The student demand for a musical was especially great after the overwhelming success of last year's production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."
Nick Brentley '06, who played a variety of comical roles in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," admitted to having auditioned for the show only after having heard that the director and choreographer of "How to Succeed," Mark Allan Davis, would be returning to head it. With a little over three weeks of rehearsals during Interterm, the students and staff worked feverishly night and day to produce a musical that would normally take several months to prepare. Their hard work definitely paid off.
Overall, the show was a huge success despite its lack of aesthetic appeal. The excitement and stage presence of the actors strengthened the production. Their goal was to make us laugh, and laugh we did.