‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum’ opens Oct. 28 and runs through two weekends. Courtesu hoto
TRI-M PRODUCTIONS NEWS RELEASE
Opening October 28, 2022, Tri-M Productions will present its last production of the 2022 season with the beloved musical “”A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum”, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. A hit since its Broadway debut in 1962, FORUM is a takeoff on the ancient Roman comedies of Plautus, telling the bawdy story of a sneaky slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. It was originally produced on Broadway by the legendary Hal Prince, with choreography by Jack Cole and Jerome Robbins. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of mistaken identity, and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from a line often used by vaudeville comedians to begin a story: “A funny thing happened on the way to the theater”. Its Golden-Era smash songs include “A Comedy Tonight”, “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” and “Lovely”.
In the year of his death, FORUM is Tri-M’s tribute to one of the greatest musical geniuses ever produced by the Golden Age of American musicals, Stephen Sondheim, who died in January, 2022. A multiple Tony award winner, FORUM was also the professional comeback of the blacklisted comic actor Zero Mostel, who in the lead role rebuilt his career. It has been a staple of American theater for exactly 60 years.
The show will be directed by Marilyn Barnes, with musical direction by Kathlene Ritch as she leads a live band. Laura Garrett (of Moving Arts Espanola) is the choreographer, Anne de May does the costumes, and Sarah LeBlanc is doing Production Design.
Actors that ticket holders might recognize and remember are: Bear Schacht playing Pseudolus (Judas in Cabaret); Carlos Vazquez Baur playing Miles Gloriosus (graduated from St. Michael’s and Gonzaga University and last seen as Moritz in Spring Awakening and Jeffrey in Godspell); Caiti Lord (choir director at Nina Otero community school and last see as Ilse in Spring Awakening; she also was in one of our first productions, Closer than Ever); Andrew Bornman playing Hysterium (graduate of SFHS and ensemble in Spring Awakening, Cabaret and Godspell), Jeremiah Vigil playing Hero, (a graduate from NMSA and member of Spring Awakening ensemble); Rikki Carroll, a well known actress in the area playing Philia (recently seen as Sonia in Godspell); and Noah Segard playing Erronius (seen frequently in ISC’s productions, Teatro Paraguas, and seen as Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret).
As usual for Tri-M Productions, FORUM will open Friday October 28 and run for two weekends, including evening performance on Friday and Saturday and afternoon matinees on each Saturday and Sunday, for a total of eight performances. For tickets, go to Tri-M’s web site at https://www.trimsantafe.org . Performances will be at the Santa Fe Playhouse Theater, 142 E. DeVargas Street in Santa Fe.