Farces are arguably the toughest shows to get right. Daffy dialogue and slapstick situations can fail to land if vocal inflections or physical timing are even slightly off. This becomes clear with Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," which strikes the right chords vocally but misses a few comic beats.
If a joyous evening of an entertaining, albeit dated, classic musical is in your theater sights, then "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is your ticket. Director Lauren Rawitz keeps this Forum’s pace moving with an extremely talented and energetic ensemble of twenty and an unseen eight piece orchestra led by Kailey Rockwell. Forum is part vaudeville, part comedic Shakespeare with chases, mistaken identities, satire, double entendres, plot twists, and a lot of hanky-panky.
Metropolis’ third show of its 2018-2019 Main Stage season, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, delivers on the promise of its properly prophetic opening number “Comedy, Tonight!”. Director Lauren Rawitz has created a raucous Roman romp with a little “something for everybawdy.”
For a delightful evening of sidesplitting laughter and great entertainment, look no further than A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Executive Artistic Director Joe Keefe and his staff have quietly built Metropolis into a true theatrical destination to rival any theatre in Chicago.
