Wilkof, Raben Lead Reprise's A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM

The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," 1962's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical, March 16 to 28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Directed by David Lee, the production's book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Tony-Award-nominee Lee Wilkof, who originated the part of Seymour in "Little Shop of Horrors," stars with Larry Raben, one of the original cast of "Forever Plaid." Wilkof has appeared continuously in New York and on Broadway in revivals of "Sweet Charity," "She Loves Me," "Kiss Me, Kate," and "The Odd Couple," and recently spent two seasons as The Wizard in "Wicked." He is also known for his recurring roles on "Law and Order," "Ally McBeal," and "Max Headroom." Larry Raben played Leo Bloom on Broadway and in Las Vegas in Mel Brooks' "The Producers," and also starred off-Broadway and in Los Angeles in "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." The production will also feature Erich Bergen in the role of 'Hero'.

The rest of the cast features Michael Kostroff, Alan Mandell, Ron Orbach and Ruth Williamson. The ensemble of "Forum" features Annie Abrams, Stuart Ambrose, Bradley Benjamin, Matthew Patrick Davis, Meg Gillentine, Tonya Kay, Laura Keller, Mercy Malick, Russ Marchand, Candace Olsen, and Justin Wilco. Director David Lee, one of the area's most important, creative, musical theatre talents, recently directed "Camelot" at the Pasadena Playhouse, in a noteworthy production featuring a company of eight actors. "Forum" features two musical theatre talents new to Reprise. Choreographer Peggy Hickey, who recently staged the dances for "My Fair Lady" starring Kelsey Grammer and Kelli O'Hara for the New York Philharmonic, is regular choreographer for Goodspeed Opera House and Sacramento Music Circus, and Steve Orich, Tony-Award-nominee for Best Orchestrations for the 2006 Tony-Award-winning Best Musical "Jersey Boys," serves as musical director.

Reprise Theatre Company is headed by Artistic Director Jason Alexander and Producing Director Susan Dietz.

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" will preview on Tuesday, March 16 and will open on Wednesday, March 17, and continue through Sunday, March 28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Single tickets are available for "Forum" online at www.reprise.org or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101.

Director David Lee is a nine-time Emmy-Award-winning director, writer and producer for television. On stage, he has directed productions of "Light Up the Sky," "Do I Hear A Waltz?," "110 in the Shade," "Diva," "Can-Can" (at Pasadena Playhouse), "How I Fell In Love" (Williamstown Theater Festival), "On The 20th Century," "Assassins," "Company," "A New Brain," "Applause," "Working," "Zorba," "Elegies" (at Reprise!), and staged readings of "The New Hope Memorial" (at the Mark Taper Lab) and "They Knew What They Wanted" (at Roundabout Theatre Company). In 2007, he directed the acclaimed production of "South Pacific" at the Hollywood Bowl with Reba McEntire and Brian Stokes Mitchell. His writing for the theater includes a concert adaptation of "Can-Can" (Encores! with Patti LuPone) and an entirely new book for "Can-Can," which he directed at the Pasadena Playhouse (Ovation Award-Best Director).