[by Shiela Steinman Wallace]
The story line is absurd. The characters are unbelievable with names matched to their farcical characters. And the more improbable something is, the more likely it is to happen.
Put all this together with the talented CenterStage company under the direction of John Leffert, add in some Stephen Sondheim music and you have an uproarious evening of fun when you take in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.
Monty Fields’ portrayal of Pseudolus is strong enough that he carries the whole cast forward through mountains of silliness with aplomb. Kyle Braun has the weak, wimpy, lovesick Hero down pat. And I expect the next time I visit the Linker Auditorium at the Jewish Community Center, I’ll see Stephen Infantino walking across the stage at Erronius announcing the completion of his next circuit of the hills of Rome.
Many of the other players delivered similarly delightful performances, milking the slapstick comedy for everything its worth.
If you haven’t caught A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum yet, you don’t have much time left. The last shows are Saturday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m.and Sunday, May 22, at 2 and 7 p.m.