Laughs are sure to be heard tonight at the Hampton Theatre Company in Quogue, with the opening of a two-and-a-half-week run of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
Loosely inspired by the farces of the ancient playwright Plautus, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, “Forum” won multiple Tony Awards, including best musical, when it opened in 1962.
Of that production, Howard Taubman, a New York Times critic with a sense of humor of his own, wrote, “No one gets to the forum; no one even starts for it. And nothing really happens that isn’t older than the forum, more ancient than the agora in Athens. But somehow, you keep laughing as if the old sight and sound gags were as good as new.”
The musical tells the story of Pseudolus, an upwardly mobile slave who hopes to win his freedom by helping his master, Hero, woo Phila, a courtesan. Pseudolus’s efforts are complicated by a series of misadventures involving a colorful collection of Roman characters.
The story features many timeless elements of farce, among them more than a few groanworthy puns, many slamming doors, and multiple cases of mistaken identity.
With an ensemble cast of 15, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” is one of the most ambitious productions in the history of the Hampton Theatre Company. In addition to its irreverent comedy, it includes such noteworthy musical numbers as “Comedy Tonight,” “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid,” “Impossible,” and “Lovely.”
The cast includes Nicholas Auletti, Jamie Baio, Andrew Botsford, Esmeralda Cabrera, Tom Ciorciari, Matthew Conlon, Mary Conley, Alissa Dabrowski, Matt Fama, Melissa Goldberg, Jessica Howard, Bob Kaplan, Dara Lifschutz, George A. Loizides, and Thomas Milton.
The production’s director is Rosemary Cline; Mr. Botsford and Ms. Cline are the co-producers. Music direction is by Dee Lavaglia, who is also the keyboard accompanist; choreography is by Nora Moutrane, set design by Ricky Bottenus, lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski, sound design by Jonathan Presto, and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.
Performances, which run through June 9, will take place Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee will be held on June 8. Conversations with the cast will take place after the shows on Friday, May 31, and June 7. Tickets are $48 for adults, $43 for senior citizens, and $27 for students 25 and under.
