‘A Funny Thing’ indeed

‘Forum’ lives up to its name

REVIEW. There’s a reason so many regional and community theaters do “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” It’s funny. And if, like Boston Theatre Works, you have the chance to showcase the comic skills of local veteran Neil Casey, it becomes really, really funny.

Casey doesn’t exactly steal the show (he’s too good for that). But, what he does, whether intentional or not, is raise the bar for the other players with impeccable timing, unwavering commitment to the material and an almost uncanny ability to make getting the big laugh seem effortless.

And it works. This production of the Tony award-winning Steven Sondheim and Larry Gelbart musical is hilarious.

It’s 2,000 years ago, and Pseudolous, a slick slave hell-bent on winning his own freedom, must get the girl for Hero — his young, lovesick master— in order to earn that freedom.

The problem is the young virgin Philia has already been sold to angry, pompous war hero Miles Gloriosus and is also the unrequited object of Hero’s father’s misguided affection.

Toss in a whorehouse, an old man in search of his long-missing children, three outrageously funny eunuchs, several sub-plots gone awry, some skin and lots of slapstick, and the result is a delightful mixture of snickers, sneers and belly laughs.

Casey’s turn as the people-pleasing slave Hysterium is hardly the only solid performance in “Forum.” Jim Jordan, Lacey Upton and Bill Gardiner are constantly switching gears and costumes in their spot-on portrayals of Protean.

Their earnestness amidst the chaos adds great levity to already insanely funny situations. And Jordan’s jaunt around town as doddering Erronius keeps getting funnier with every lap.

Gardiner is especially good as the freedom-bound slave Pseudolus and Christopher Lyons is an ideal choice for young Hero. And then there are  the scantily clad courtesans who prove that somebody at BTW understands the value of good casting.

The show’s signature song, “Comedy Tonight,” proves to be the production’s strongest musical number, but comedy is the order of business here, and thankfully, this talented troupe lets one-liners rip at lightning speed.  
 
‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’
Through Oct. 20
BCA Plaza Theatre
539 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line
to Back Bay
$22 to $42, 617-728-4321
www.bostontheatreworks.com