'Forum' utilizes the familiar and peculiar

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" proves that comedy is comedy, even if it's 2,000 years old. Based on the plays of the Roman playwright Plautus and updated by "M*A*S*H" creator Larry Gelbart, the musical comedy combines both wit and pratfalls with songs by Sondheim and a bit of dance in an evening that fulfills the promise of the rousing opening and closing number, "Comedy Tonight":

"Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone."

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" opens tonight at the Rose Theatre.

A wonderfully cartoonish curtain rises to reveal three Easter egg-colored Roman houses devised by scenic designer Rhonda Weller-Stilson. Pseudolus (Dennis Seyer), a slave conniving to win his freedom, delivers a prologue that explains whose houses these are. There's Erronius (Jeff South), an old man still searching for his two young children stolen by pirates 20 years earlier. As Erronius, community member South is the source of one of the comedy's recurring gags. He is engaging in the part.

At the other end of the street lives Lycus (Lloyd Williams), who trades in courtesans with colorful names: Tintinabula (Casee Hagan), Panacea (Meagan Edmonds), The Geminae (Emily Wilson, Zakiya Chandler-el), Vibrata (Katie Stricker), Gymnasia (Gina Cutelli) and guileless courtesan-in-training Philia (Natasha Toro). The courtesans dance sensuously dances when Pseudolus pretends to be in the market.

Senex (Tom Lee) is an old man mistakenly given reason to think Philia desires him. He lives in the middle house with his wife, Domina (Ellen Seyer) and son, Hero (Dan Graul). Hero is in love Philia, a fact Pseudolus seizes upon as an avenue to his freedom.

Graul has a fine voice and makes you root for the artless Hero. His duet with Senex on "Impossible," in which they debate each other's aptitude to win Philia's affections, is one of the play's best musical moments.

Toro excels in "That'll Show Him," a song in which she promises Hero that since she'll be thinking of him she'll make love to her new owner, the pompous Miles Gloriosus (Stephen Fister), more frequently.

Dennis Seyer, a professor in the Department of Theater and Dance, plays Pseudolus with the air of a misfortunate mensch who nonetheless likes to get away with cheating the eunuchs out of a few coins, who yearns for freedom but wants a comfy spot to land.

Ellen Seyer, also a faculty member and the mensch's real-life wife, is perfectly terrifying (to men) and unrecognizable in the role of the hook-nosed Domina.

Tim Nicolai has become a terrific comic actor in his years at Southeast. As the slave Hysterium, he sometimes throws hyperbolic tantrums, sometimes makes you laugh with a look and a tilt of his head and has lots of fun impersonating Philia at the end of the play.

As Senex, community member Lee does a good job in his first appearance on stage for the University Theatre. Right with him is Williams as the leopard skin-cloaked Lycus.

Intriguing costumes keep the play from looking like a toga party. The Proteans, a group of three males (Adam Leong, Brian Privett and Matt Frey) who play of variety of roles in the production wear tights that could have belonged to the Munchkins. Wherever the Proteans go, laughter follows.

Director Dr. Kenn Stilson has timed the entrances and exits at the whirling conclusion to the second, and his intuitions are on target. The lighting by student Marcus Stephens is timed perfectly and always appropriate.

The choreography by Josephine Zmolek is minimal, but there are some confirmed non-dancers on stage who don't fall down.

Dr. Christopher Goeke conducts the 19-piece orchestra composed primarily of students. The associate music director is Dr. Leslie Jones.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182