Review: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at Santa Fe Playhouse

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Tri-M Millennial Music Makers Productions, Santa Fe Playhouse, October 29, 2022

"Tragedy tomorrow......Comedy TONIGHT!"

The promise put forth in the opening number of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was certainly delivered by the cast of Tri-M's production of the Sondheim classic.

Based on the plays of Plautus, A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to the Forum tells the story of Ancient Roman slave Pseudolus (Bear Schacht), who schemes to win his freedom by helping his young master Hero (Jeremiah Vigil) win the affections of beautiful courtesan Philia (Rikki Carroll). The musical was the first Broadway production for which Stephen Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics and features a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.

The farcical plot is, of course, rife with complications, misunderstandings, mistaken identities and hilarity. Pseudolus works hard to ensure that his master and mistress (Travis Bergler and Jacqualine Hatchel), along with Hysterium (Andrew Bornman), head slave of the household, are not aware of his plot to win his freedom. He spends the bulk of the show creating tall tales and scenarios to keep them at bay. Sending the master and mistress away gives him room to create a plan to have Hero steal the virgin Philia away before she is betrothed to Roman soldier Miles Gloriosus (Carlos Vazquez Baur). Are there complications? Of course. Chase scenes? You bet. And Comedy? Absolutely.

This is a production that is both entertaining and well-performed. The standout performances were Schacht as Pseudolus, the glue holding it all together; he rose to the occasion perfectly, with strong vocals, acting and general presence. Vazquez Baur as the God-like Roman Soldier Miles Gloriousus was also very strong in his vocal performance and comedy chops. Rikki Carroll and Jeremiah Vigil as the young lovers were both effervescent and engaging.

It's encouraging to see that Tri-M is growing stronger and better with each production - this one took a big leap with set, costume and lighting. The choreography by Laura Garrett was also very innovative and matched the tone of the piece. The musical direction by Kathlene Ritch was excellent as well; the musicians balanced the voices onstage, and the full ensemble numbers were both strong and had a fantastic harmonious blend. The Santa Fe Playhouse is a good venue for this company; the proscenium stage was a perfect setting for this more traditional musical production.

It's important to note that Tri-M is an exclusive company, in that no one under 18 or over 40 is encouraged to audition. This is a double-edged sword in a production like this (or like Cabaret, which they performed in the spring). The older characters in the production lack the vocal and physical maturity needed to make their characters believable - let's face it, Sondheim is tough to perform at any age - but it can feel like a high school production in this sense. It would be wonderful to see this company expand their mission, as there are many talented actors of all ages in Santa Fe, many of whom would lend another layer to this evolving company (not to mention that this is the first time in a long time that a company has chosen to make legitimate musical theater the backbone of their company).

Forum runs now through November 6th - tickets are available at https://www.trimsantafe.org/ - get them now because each of their last performances have sold out long before the end of the run!

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