Original Revival Cast
“A Funny Thing Happened on the way...Forum”
While working as the physical comedy consultant to Rob Marshal during pre-production, Kevin was offered a position in the original cast of the revival of “...Forum” at the St. James Theatre. As the stand-by for the roles of Hero and the Proteans, he performed over 100 shows with Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg & David Allen Greer.
Show Info
Based on the plays of Plautus, this musical with a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart reveled in "low comedy" without playing off anachronisms. The plot concerned a young hero, named Hero, who has fallen in love with a courtesan from next door. He promises freedom to his slave, Pseudolus, in exchange for the girl. Out of the ordinary in that the songs' function was not to advance plot or illuminate character, but rather to give the audience a vaudevillian break from the breakneck pace of the farcical plot. Includes the songs "Comedy Tonight," and "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid."
The musical was also revived with great success in 1996, starring Nathan Lane as Pseudolus; he was replaced later in the run by Whoopi Goldberg and also by David Alan Grier. The production, directed by Jerry Zaks, ran 715 performances. Lane won the Best Actor Tony for his work.
Every actor who has opened in the role of Pseudolus on Broadway--Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers and Nathan Lane--won a Best Actor Tony. In addition, Jason Alexander, who performed as Pseudolus in one scene in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, also won a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.
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West End Productions
The show was presented thrice in London's West End. The 1963 production and its 1986 revival were staged at the Strand Theatre and the Piccadilly Theatre respectively, and featured Frankie Howerd starring as Pseudolus. In 2004 there was a limited-run revival at the Royal National Theatre starring Desmond Barrit as Pseudolus, Philip Quast as Miles Gloriosus, and Isla Blair as Domina (who had previously played Philia in the 1963 production.)
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Plot
Pseudolus, a slave in ancient Rome, wishes to buy, win, or steal his freedom. He is the slave of young Hero, son of Senex and Domina. The chief household slave is the nervous Hysterium. Erroneous, an elderly neighbor, is searching for his long-lost children. One day, Senex and Domina go on a trip and leave Pseudolus in charge of Hero. Hero confides in Pseudolus that he is in love with the lovely Philia, one of the courtesans in the brothel next door. Hero promises Pseudolus his freedom if he can help him to win Philia's love. Pseudolus is friends with the brothel owner, Marcus Lycus, but Lycus won't help because Philia has been promised to an egotistical soldier, Captain Miles Gloriosus, who is on his way to pick up his prize. Hysterium also refuses to help because he just wants to maintain the status quo and not upset his masters. Events quickly accumulate: Hero and Philia fall in love, Miles arrives and Philia refuses to go with him, Senex and Domina return from their trip early, and Pseudolus convinces Hysterium to help him by dressing in drag. As things go wrong with Pseudolus's plans, he is forced to hatch increasingly complicated and ludicrous plans. Eventually, it is discovered that Philia is the long-lost daughter of Erronius and Miles the long-lost son - brother and sister - leaving Philia free to wed Hero and Pseudolus a free man.
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Characters
•Pseudolus – A Roman slave, owned by Hero, who seeks to win his/her freedom by helping his/her young master win the heart of Philia. While originally written as a male role, it has been performed by female cast as well.
•Hero – Young son of Senex who falls in love with the virgin, Philia.
•Philia – (Filia - Latin for "daughter"; also calls to mind the Greek word for "love") A virgin in the house of Marcus Lycus, and Hero's love interest.
•Senex – (Latin for "old man," or "senile") A Roman Senator living in a less fashionable suburb of Rome.
•Marcus Lycus – A purveyor of courtesans, who operates from the house to the left of Senex. (Since he is a con man, his name is very likely based on "likes a mark".)
•Domina – (Latin for "mistress") The wife of Senex. A manipulative, shrewish woman who is loathed by even her husband.
•Erronius – Senex's elderly neighbor who has spent the past twenty years searching for his two children, kidnapped in infancy by pirates.
•Gymnasia – A courtesan from the house of Lycus with whom Pseudolus falls in love. (portrayed in the film as mute, as she hails from "the Island of Silent Women")
•Miles Gloriosus – (Latin for "glorious soldier") A captain in the Roman army to whom Marcus Lycus has promised Philia.
•Hysterium – The chief slave in the house of Senex.
•Fertilla the Populator – A female "breeder slave" purchased by Senex and Domina. (film only)
•Crassus – A merchant at the docks. (film only)
•Tintinabula – A courtesan in the house of Lycus.
•Vibrata – A courtesan in the house of Lycus.
•Geminae – Twin courtesans in the house of Lycus.
•Panacea – A courtesan in the house of Lycus.
•Domina's Mother – Senex's overweening mother-in-law. (briefly mentioned in the play; only actually seen by the audience in the film)
•Proteans- Literally the chorus, they play multiple roles in the play (Slaves, Citizens, Soldiers, & Eunuchs), and they accompany Pseudolus in "Comedy Tonight" (in the play, three people played all of these roles; in the movie, these parts were played by extras).
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Songs
•"Comedy Tonight" — Pseudolus and Company
•"Love, I Hear" — Hero
•"Free" — Pseudolus and Hero
•"The House of Marcus Lycus" — Lycus and Pseudolus
•"Lovely" — Philia and Hero
•"Pretty Little Picture" — Pseudolus, Hero, and Philia
•"Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" — Pseudolus, Senex, Lycus, and Hysterium
•"I'm Calm" — Hysterium
•"Impossible" — Senex and Hero
•"Bring Me My Bride" — Miles Gloriosus and Company
•"That Dirty Old Man" — Domina
•"That'll Show Him" — Philia
•"Lovely" (reprise) — Pseudolus and Hysterium
•"Funeral Sequence" — Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Company
•"Finale" — Company
Note: The songs "Love, I Hear", "Free", "The House of Marcus Lycus", "Pretty Little Picture", "I'm Calm", "Impossible", "That Dirty Old Man" and "That'll Show Him" were cut from the film.
