A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Reviews

Washington Post- Recommended

"...I also admit that my own tolerance for lowbrow humor might have shifted since I was introduced to the show via productions and the 1966 movie in my mid-teens. During intermission, one audience member declared to another, “You are seeing perfection on this stage!” Though I don’t quite agree, even a flawed “Forum” has its appeal, and the show can hold onto its spot in the musical theater canon thanks to reexaminations like this one. For now."

DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended

"...In a collaboration that has proven equally successful and auspicious to the future of theater in the DMV since its inception, Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner and Managing Director Maggie Boland return to champion a fresh revival of Sondheim’s zaniest musical farce. With a powerhouse cast, a playful engagement with Shevelove and Gelbart’s book, and production design to dazzle, Signature’s Forum is nothing short of a spectacle."

MetroWeekly- Highly Recommended

"...A funny thing happened on my way to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Donald Trump won re-election, which, actually, was not that funny. So, the day after Election Day, heading to Signature Theatre to see Matthew Gardiner's new production of Forum, I didn't know what I would do with the zany hijinks of ancient Roman slaves and courtesans."

Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended

"...The production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum now in the MAX Theater at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, is joyous, raucous, and exactly what Washington area audiences need right now."

Washington City Paper- Somewhat Recommended

"...With an opening number that promises “Comedy Tonight,” so begins A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Stephen Sondheim’s swords-and-sandals, play-within-a-play musical farce. Yet, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum suffers from some structural issues inherent to its ancient Rome sourcing and its 1960s origins—flaws that Signature Theatre’s production, directed by artistic director Matthew Gardiner, cannot fully correct."

Stage and Cinema- Recommended

"...A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, currently at Signature Theater, is knee-slapping farcical fun à la vaudeville and the Marx Brothers mixed with ancient Roman escapades, all set to the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. Sound like a crazy evening? It’s silly on steroids."

MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended

"...If a night of levity sounds like a balm for your soul, trust that "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" will deliver. Although the lead role is most often male, it's hard to imagine a better pick for Pseudolus in this production than Erin Weaver. A hilarious supporting cast (with stand-out performances from Keller, Verma, and Mike Millan as Hysterium), complimented by a large, well-balanced orchestra, reinvigorate this classic musical comedy. Does it have a grand message to impart? No, but perhaps "take a breath and laugh" is all the advice we all need."

BroadwayWorld- Highly Recommended

"...Shenanigans and Sondheim are a great combination in Signature Theatre’s production of the beloved musical farce A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. A bawdy, irreverent farcical spirit very suitably inhabits this classic merging of a very amusing book by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove with the early lyrics and music of composer Stephen Sondheim. Mix in the brightest of performing talent, the timeless appeal of farce, the superb music direction of conductor John Kalbfleisch, and direction and choreography by Matthew Gardiner --and you have a dynamic production to reckon with."