Breaking News: James Corden-Led A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Revival Postponed

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Tony winner James Corden will be the new host of THE LATE LATE SHOW. Corden - a multi-faceted performer, host, writer and producer with accomplishments that span television, theater, film and comedy - will take the reins of the daily late night show in 2015. While that means good news for late night television audiences, it strikes a blow to the producers of the planned Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, in which Corden was to star.

On behalf of the producers of A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, spokesman Chris Boneau said, "Despite the total commitment from Stephen Sondheim, our director, Alex Timbers and our entire creative team , the producers all agreed that time was beginning to run out to cast and produce A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM this Spring in the way we wanted. While we are disappointed, we have decided to postpone the production this season".

He continued: "In fairness to our friends at the Nederlander Organization who have remained staunchly supportive, we have agreed to release the theatre they were holding for us so another show can open in this busy Spring 2015 season".

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251-183 BC), specifically Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria, the musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another), and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from the line that vaudeville comedians often used to begin a story: "A funny thing happened on the way to the theater".

The musical's original 1962 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book. A Funny Thing has enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical, Zero Mostel. The most recent Broadway revival starred Nathan Lane, who won the 1996 Tony Award for his performance.