SMITHFIELD LITTLE THEATRE'S FORUM IS IMPERFECT FUN

Theater Babe Says:  Go . . . and Enjoy a Little Comedy Tonight!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is the first Broadway show that boasted Stephen Sondheim's music as well as his lyrics.  Those songs, replete with dissonance and tongue-tangling patter, are as challenging as the farce in which they are enveloped.  Smithfield Little Theatre's production, directed by Kathy Eaton, of this far from simple piece is uneven, but it's undeniably entertaining.

Forum is set in ancient Rome, and centers around the quest of Pseudolus, a slave, to acquire his freedom from his owner, Hero, by helping that young man woo and win the virginal courtesan, Philia, who lives in the house next door.  Matters are complicated because Philia has already been sold, sight-unseen, by her master, Marcus Lycus, to a celebrated warrior, Miles Gloriousus.  The beautiful but less-than-brilliant Philia mistakes Hero's father, Senex, for Gloriousus and offers herself to Senex – who is more than happy to enjoy her charms, much to Hero's (and Pseudolus') dismay.  Pseudolus therefore enlists the assistance of perpetually nervous head slave, Hysterium, to keep the young lovers together -- and apart from Gloriousus, Lycus and Senex.  At the same time, Senex's wife, Domina, attempts to spy on Senex to ascertain whether he is unfaithful while their neighbor, Erronius, continues his decades-long search for his children who were abducted by pirates long before the story begins.  Much hilarity ensues as the characters wind their way through the confusion and ultimately produce the happy ending promised in the opening song, "Comedy Tonight."

Brian K. Teal's interpretation of Pseudolus is satisfactory, and is at its best when he presents his own characterization of the wily slave who engineers various complicated schemes rather than borrowing facial expressions created by the inimitable Zero Mostel.  William Van Dyke (Hysterium) at first utilizes a nasal, affected speaking tone that detracts from his fine performance and adversely affects his diction.  As the plot evolves, however, Mr. Van Dyke sheds the affected tone with hugely beneficial results; when he speaks in his own voice, we can understand his lines and enjoy his exceptional comedic timing.  During "I'm Calm," he displays a strong, pleasant singing voice and it is one of the best moments of the show.  Mr. Van Dyke has a compelling stage presence which serves this production well, particularly in the purposefully frenzied second act where he is a strong albeit humorous point of reference in the midst of the chaos.

Andrew Smith is perfectly cast as Hero.  He is handsome and appealing, and we believe that he is besotted with the pretty but unsuitable Philia.  Mr. Smith arguably has the best voice in the show, demonstrated to advantage in "Love, I Hear."  His Hero is sweet and earnest in the best sense of those words and Mr. Smith is to be applauded for playing the role with realism, rather than attempting to compete with the broader comedy that is inherent in many of the other characters.  In an interpretation less skillfully directed or portrayed, Forum's farce could easily become tiresome silliness.  In this production, because Hero's love story is credible, we are free to relish the ridiculousness that spirals from that pivotal plot point.

As Senex, Mike Peters is plausible as the middle-aged man who is flattered by a good-looking young girl's attentions.  He sings confidently with clear diction, but is not always on pitch, and he consistently struggles with maintaining the correct tempo.  Music Director William Neill, III does an exceptional job of keeping the eight piece orchestra together with the singers, and accommodates the occasional vocal vagaries while sustaining a steady pace.  Nowhere was that control more noticeable than during "Impossible," Mr. Peters' duet with Mr. Smith.  Throughout the number, Mr. Peters rushed through the vocal rests, racing far ahead of the accompaniment.  Mr. Neill managed the orchestra so that it caught up with Mr. Peters without accelerating the overall pace of the song, and provided a sufficiently strong tempo for Mr. Smith to find so that the vocals and instrumentals were realigned during Hero's parts of the number.  As a result, we were able to enjoy the amusing lyrics and the actors' performances when under less expert direction, it could have disintegrated into incoherence. 

Lauren Peters' Philia is delightfully dimwitted.  Ms. Peters has a pretty voice, better displayed in "That'll Show Him" than in her first song, "Lovely," primarily because she appears to be more comfortable with the ironic comedy of the former than the matter-of-fact characterization of the latter.  As Miles Gloriosus, Skylar Norman is wonderfully vain and pompous.  His singing voice, however, lacks the power and tonal quality that is so prominent during his spoken lines and the "Funeral Sequence" would be much improved if the chorus' wails were softer so that we could understand his humorous lyrics that were drowned out the night the Theater Babe attended the show.

Bill West delivers a pleasing performance as Marcus Lycus, and he brings commendable energy and excitement to the role without overplaying it.  Bill Hanlon's portrayal of Erronius is respectable, but his singing voice is ill-suited to the complexity of a Sondheim score and the numbers in which he appears would be immeasurably improved if he would speak-sing his lyrics.

As Domina, Senex's suspicious and overbearing wife, Carrie Grace Morgan is appropriately officious and obnoxious, but she is too pretty and too well-dressed to be perfectly credible; more garish makeup and/or a costume that disguises her delicate figure would eliminate the disconnect that currently exists between her attractive appearance and the horrified reactions she elicits from the other characters.  Ms. Morgan's sparkling delivery and her outstanding diction of her solo number, "That Dirty Old Man," overcome her occasional pitch problems and it is a highlight of the show. 

The choreography by Paula Cole and Jennifer Steiger is clever and admirably reflective of the various characters, although it is not always commensurate with the dancers' abilities.  The follow-the-leader scene is quirky and fun, but would be improved if the proteans would not anticipate the leader's moves; they need to wait to let the leader move first rather than simply perform the choreography because they know what comes next.  As a whole, however, the dances and other choreographed moments are lively and entertaining.

The costumes, coordinated by Stephanie Sabin, are inconsistent and reflect conflicting styles and time periods.  Some of them – such as the Philia outfit – are perfect from head to toe, while others – such as the red medieval gown worn by one of the courtesans -- appear to be used simply because they are of some not-modern time period and are the correct size for the actor. 

Robert Cox's set design is simple and well-executed, and perfectly showcases the action.  By making use of a few plain, multi-functional, movable pieces Mr. Cox provides options well-utilized by Ms. Eaton's blocking while still maximizing the space available on the small stage.  The backdrop is beautiful and enhances the scene without being distracting.

Bottom line?  A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a difficult show to produce, and the Smithfield Little Theatre's production is not perfect.  However, because the actors themselves appear to be having such a great time, their enthusiasm is contagious and makes it easy to overlook the flaws, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable performance that is well worth the time and the ticket price.

Performances run thru November 18^th, Thursday – Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:0 p.m.

at the Smithfield Little Theatre

210 N. Church Street, Smithfield, Virginia 23430.

Tickets are $15 and can be obtained by calling the box office

at (757) 357-7338 or by emailing a ticket request to contact@smithfieldlittletheatre.org. 

See their website http://www.smithfieldlittletheatre.org for details.