Steven Hayes Stars in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at CRT, Now thru 6/30

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, starring Steven Hayes as the crafty slave Pseudolus, as the second of its three-show Summer Nutmeg Summer Series, June 20 - 30 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Storrs. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

Forum is one of musical Theatre's finniest and most beloved shows. Steven Hayes, a CRT audience favorite, returns to play Pseudolus after playing The Modern Major General in The Pirates of Penzance and the Barber in Man of La Mancha and last summer, and Horton in CRT's 2011 produciton of Seussical the Musical. Mr. Hayes' expert comic sensibilities will be center stage as he portrays a wily slave on a mission to gain his freedome by helping his master win the heart of a beautiful courtesan, Philia.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum runs tonight, June 20 - June 30, 2013. The show features Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. The production runs in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. For tickets and information call 860-486-2113, Mon. - Fri., noon - 5 p.m. Tickets available online at www.crt.uconn.edu.

Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone: a comedy tonight! is the promise of Broadway's most loved musical farce. Steven Hayes, last season's hilarious Modern Major General in The Pirates of Penzance, will lead the company as the Roman slave who attempts to win his freedom by helping his master woo the pretty girl next door. But the road to romance is never smooth, as our crafty hero dodges a riotous succession of stunning surprises, mistaken identities, wild chases, bawdy humor, and zany characters-all in the pursuit of love and freedom! This fast-paced, witty and irreverent romp features infectious tunes and laugh out loud lyrics by musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum may be a 50 year-old musical based on 2000 year-old plays, but it remains a breath of fresh comic air, perfect for a summer evening!

THE CAST

Steven Hayes (Pseudolus) is an award-winning comedian, actor, writer and host of the YouTube show: Steve Hayes: Tired Old Queen at the Movies. His one-person show, Steve Hayes: Hollywood Reunion, has been presented around the country. In films, he starred in Trick with Tori Spelling and The Big Gay Musical. He recently played Edna in Hairspray at The Red House Performing Arts Center in Syracuse. CRT credits: Horton in Seussical: The Musical, The Barber in Man Of La Mancha and Modern Major General in The Pirates of Penzance. In NYC, he recently played the title role in a revival of Charles Ludlam's Camille.

Dirk Lumbard (Senex) Broadway credits: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; u/s for Harold Hill inThe Music Man; Imaginary Friends; On Your Toes; Barnum; and Sugar Babies. Off-Broadway: Flora, the Red Menace; Dames at Sea. National Tour of The Wizard Of Oz (Joseph Jefferson Award), Grand Hotel and Crazy for You. At Canada's Stratford Theatre: The Music Man (Stage Door Award), Kiss Me, Kate; Titus Andronicus; Comedy of Errors. Television: Deadline (NBC), Home Improvement (ABC), and Alice in Wonderland (PBS). He's a proud recipient of a Tyrone Guthrie Award.

Ariana Shore (Domina) Broadway: The Performers (Peeps/Sundown LeMay/Sara understudy). Off Broadway: RIP JD, Importance of Being Ernest, Closer Than Ever, We All Wore Leather Pants.TV/Film: Rescue Me, Gossip Girls, Brett and the City and Horizon. She has also been successfully convincing you to buy things you never thought you needed on the Home Shopping Network.

Bradford Scobie (Hysterium) Stage credits include CRT: Seussical (Cat in the Hat), Union Square Theatre, NYC: Slava's Snowshow (Green Clown), NY Musical Theater Festival: Moisty the Snowman Saves Christmas (Moisty/Writer), Dublin International Theater Festival: Gorgeous Morons (Multiple Characters/Writer), DC Fringe Festival: Dial 'P' for?Pasties (Inspector Bloodpudding/Writer);TWEED TheaterWorks, NYC: Pig in a Hot Tin Trough (Brick),The Mailman Always Comes Twice (Nick). Commercial credits include Downy Unstopables (Jimmy the Laundry Intern). As a voice-over actor Bradford can be heard in numerous commercials and cartoons including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Wonder Pets! on Nickelodeon.

Amandina Altomare, Brandon Beaver, Conor Donnally, James Jelkin, Colby Lewis, Adam Maggio, Briana Maia, Chester Martin, Tim Murray, Coles Prince, ALanna Saunders, Claire Saunders, Madelyn Shaffer and Annie Wallace.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Vincent J. Cardinal (Director) was the Chair of Theatre at the University of Miami and the Artistic Director of the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre. He served as the Director of the School of Theater and Head of the MFA Playwriting Program at Ohio University and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Adelphi University. Cardinal was the Director of off-Broadway's Circle Repertory Company School of Theater. He was also an Associate Artist with The Circle Repertory Company and a member of its LAB. He graduated in Playwriting from the Yale School of Drama where he was honored with the ASCAP-Cole Porter Award for Best-Collected Work. His plays have been produced internationally. He has directed more than 80 productions from coast to coast including 22 world premieres. Most recently, he directed Romeo & Juliet for CRT.

Cassie Abate (Choreographer) Regional and University directing and choreography credits: Guys and Dolls and Seussical at CRT, Pirates of Penzance at the Stephen Sondheim Center, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Music Man, Moby Dick: the Musical, Little Women, and Zanna, Don't!. Regional and Tour performing credits: Sophisticated Ladies at Arena Stage starring Maurice Hines, National Tour of Urban Cowboy (Bubbles), My Fair Lady at CRT, 42nd Street at North Shore (Lorraine), West Side Story (Maria u/s), Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), Singin' in the Rain (Kathy Selden), The Boyfriend (Polly) and Little Women (Beth). Cassie will begin in the fall as Head of Dance in the Musical Theatre Program at Texas State University. AEA & SDC (assoc.).

John Pike (Music Director) is a professor at The Hartt School teaching musical theatre history, text analysis and Contemporary Theatre. He has musical-directed Seussical (CRT), Coram Boy (Hartt), A Little Night Music (Syracuse University).Also as stage director, John's recent productions include Working, Edwin Drood, Little Women, and Big. Other favorite productions as director/musical director include Titanic, Cabaret, The Apple Tree, Pippin, Brigadoon, and The Frogs. Previously as Artistic Associate for Goodspeed Musicals he worked on more than 90 productions and was publisher of Show Music Magazine. His articles have appeared in Playbill and Dramatists Quarterly and he is the author of Achieving the Impossible Dream: Goodspeed Musicals at 50.

Michael Anania, Scenic Designer; Lisa Loen, Costume Designer; Michael Cybowski, Lighting Designer; Nathan Leigh, Sound Designer.

Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now. Please call 860-486-2113 for tickets or for more information. Please call or visit the box office for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change. Tickets available online at www.crt.uconn.edu. Weeknight evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Weekend evening performances start at 8 p.m. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m. Single ticket prices range from $10 to $45.

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