DCT's "Forum" a Pretty Funny Thing

◊◊◊ 1/2 out of five.  Contains broad adult humor and physical comedy.  2 hours, 40 minutes, including intermission.

 

It is to Dundalk Community Theatre's credit that they are bringing the classic musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.  Not really done that much around here, the audience this past weekend was abuzz with audience members saying things like, "I've never even heard of this before!" and "Oh! It IS a musical!"  So, hats off to DCT for bringing early Stephen Sondheim music and one of the best-ever Broadway books by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart to the masses.  And judging by the reception at the final curtain, the community is quite glad they did.  (How fun to hear people singing "Comedy Tonight" in the parking lot!).  John Desmone's production of this classic musical is well-staged, well-sung, and mostly well-performed.  And, after about a half hour in, things got pretty funny, too. 

Let me say straight off that DCT continues to be a model community theatre as evidenced by its thoroughly winning presentation of itself, professional from the second you enter the lobby.  And, decades after its premiere season, it has a huge following and large audiences.  Production values are quite high as well - the bill from A.T. Jones Costumers must be staggering for this colorful eye-popping show.  Costume coordinator James Fasching has done an excellent job in selecting just the right costumes for the characters, the scenes and the actors themselves.  His sense of humor about the piece is evident, especially in the costume for young Hero, a dashing young man decked out in a pink/gold caped combo.  Marc W. Smith's Roman columned set is huge and utilitarian, again his sense of humor showing in the numbering of the houses (bet you can guess what number the House of Marcus Lycus is…).  Smith's lighting is also very good, bright, cheerful and complete with (I can't believe I finally get to say this) masterful use of the spotlight.  Lastly, his sound is perfect.  You can hear every word, even over the music, and even over the decidedly low volume most of the cast is singing in - "Sing out, Pseudolus!"  Congratulations all around to the design team! 

Bambi Nevel Johnson's choreography is very well-suited for the abilities of her cast, and is very creative - thank Jupiter - and exhibits that same sense of humor that pervades the technical aspects of the show.  Several moments of the dancing reminded me of Xanadu (and before you write, I know Xanadu is Greek and Forum is Roman) for its cleverness in maintaining the utilitarian and artistic aspects of that ancient culture, mixed with a modern touch.  The presentation of the courtesans in the "House of Marcus Lycus" is a hoot - sexy, funny and still pretty family-friendly, all things considered.  All of the ladies are to be commended (Victoria Lui, Shana Tsismanakis, Emily Biondi, Stephanie Miller, Christine Shoobridge and Veronica T. Locket)  with Miss Shoobridge and Miss Locket making especially impressive contributions as Vibrata and Gymnasia, respectively. 

Naturally, the Proteans (vaudevillian everymen - clowns, jugglers, etc.) must be able to pull off high comedy and low-brow physicality, and the three (James Biernatowski, Michael Maistros and Nicholas Pepersack) in the DCT cast are a wonder.  All three are the very best combination of The Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers.  Mr. Biernatowski's fey Protean is a funny, but never offense, update for modern audiences - he is a scream.  In roles that one wishes were bigger so as to give their players more stage time, Joan Dunn and Dave Guy, bring the energy to nuclear levels when they take the stage as Domina and Erronius, respectively.  Ms. Dunn's coloratura-ed diva is a self-centered hoot, and the befuddled crone of Mr. Guy scores every time in what could be a tired running joke (all the more funny because he isn't supposed to run!). 

Any decent musical comedy has a romantic pair somewhere in its mix, and Forum is no exception.  Here, we have the coming-of-age awkwardness of Hero, played by the slight and outrageously funny Drew Gaver.  Mr. Gaver just gets better every time I see him, and the guy can sing!  Mostly, though, his facial expressions are priceless and his chemistry with his "girl," Philia, is sweet and genuine, a nice minor break from the fever pitch of comedy that surrounds it.  Philia is played by the lovely, absolutely lovely Jacki Walsh, who has a, well, lovely voice and excellent comic timing.  Her Philia is the best kind of dumb blonde - one that is dumb on the outside but played by a smart actress.  Their duet, "Lovely," is a high point of act one. 

In four highly comedic roles, and each with a completely different style of comedy, John Suchy as Senex, Joe Mannherz as Miles, Perry Alexion as Lycus, and Eyvo Johnson as Hysterium threaten to steal the show.  Mr. Suchy, in the role of "dirty old man/harried husband" is a hornball of epic proportions, and his dry, sarcastic delivery - many times addressed to the audience - is spot on and hilarious.  (His delivery of a Viagra joke stops the show.)  Mr. Johnson's run around farcical clown take on Hysterium is an excellent choice, and he is a master at the double-take, slow burn and wide-eyed smile.  Mr. Alexion's Lycus, purveyor of the flesh, is another absolute scream, bedecked in a Price Valiant wig and bedazzled robes.  He, too, has excellent delivery.  When the three join in "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid", the audience positively screams with delight, and earns one of the biggest (and most deserved) hands of the entire evening.  Finally, Mr. Mannherz is all pomp and posture as the self-absorbed warrior Miles Glorioso.  His ego and constant weightlifting poses are a hoot, and he plays the audience like a fiddle. 

When this production really takes off - "The House of Marcus Lycus," "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid," and the farcical hi-jinx of the act two funeral sequence - it soars.  But when it doesn't, namely in the opening scenes and most egregiously, "Comedy Tonight," it borders on dull, and is primarily functional.  Some of this has to do with the staging by Mr. Desmone, who seems to have left much of act one in the hands of his lead.  Elsewhere, particularly in the Funeral Sequence, his direction is tight, absolutely hilarious and demanding, yet executed with a breathtaking ease by his game company.   

But when left to the devices of his Pseudolus, B. Thomas Rinaldi, this Forum is strictly by the book.  Resembling both Zero Mostel and Nathan Lane, both Tony winners for their efforts in the role, Rinaldi doesn't even come close to the required charisma and winning charm necessary to endear us to the slave who yearns to be free.  He gets the complicated lyrics right, and he seems to have down his blocking and choreography, but he brings little of what I assume got him the role in the first place - presence - to the stage.  It doesn't help that he hardly projects and huffs and puffs his way through moments when he must sing and dance simultaneously.  His moment to really get us on his side, "Free," goes by with little lasting impression.  I have to wonder where he came up with this take on the role; he is clearly not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.  The self-satisfied smirk and gleam in his eye tells us he thinks he is a riot.  He isn't.  He fares much better when his co-stars drag him along, and he is even funny on his own in act two several times, but never with a genuine feel that he is having fun, but rather with an undercurrent of desperation in knowing his supporting cast is wholly better than he is.  Unfortunately, he brings the whole show down a notch. 

Still, this Forum is quite good, and deserves your theatre-going dollar.  The ensemble and the spectacle insure that you will, indeed, have some comedy tonight.

 

PHOTO: John Suchy, Joan Dunn and Eyvo Johnson.  Courtesy of DCT.

 

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