Photos: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM At Bergen County Players

Bergen County Players will take humor back to its roots, combining the time-tested 2,000-year-old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville for an all-new production of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. See photos from the production!

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (his first Tony Award-winning musical) and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, Forum kicks off BCP's 92nd season on Saturday, September 14 and will run through Saturday, October 19 the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell. Show times are Friday and Saturday nights 8PM and on Sundays 2PM. Tickets to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, all priced $32, can be purchased online www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

With direction by Ray Yucis, musical direction by Jalmari Vanamo, and choreography by Diana Baer, Forum is an uproarious, toe-tapping, zany romp through ancient Rome that tells the story of a crafty slave named Pseudolus and his hystericaltempts to win his freedom by any means. The plot rapidly twists and turns with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors, wily ruses, madcap chases, bawdy innuendos and harebrained schemes. The title derives from a line often used by vaudeville comedians to begin a story: "A funny thing happened on the way to the theater". A hit since its Broadway debut in 1962, this fast-paced, witty, and irreverent comedy won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book. Its Golden-Era smash songs include "Comedy Tonight", "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" and "Lovely". The New York Times called A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum "A glorious, old-fashioned farce...almost as timeless as comedy itself!"

The talented cast of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum includes several BCP veterans, including Steve Bell of Hackensack as Pseudolus, the slavetempting to win his freedom (the same role Steve played in BCP's 1999 production of Forum), John Kiely of Allendale as henpecked husband Senex, and Lori Feiler-Fluger of River Edge as his shrewish wife, Domina. Senex and Domina are the parents of Hero (played by newcomer Damon Vincenty of Westwood), who has enlisted Pseudolus' help to woo Philia (Sherry Mayce of Little Falls, also in her BCP debut). Rounding out the cast of 18 on BCP's intimate stage are Brad Forenza of Jersey City as Hysterium, William Cantor of Woodcliff Lake as Erronius, Edward Van Saders of Sparkill, NY as Marcus Lycus, and Jesse Kriesel of New City, NY as Miles Gloriosus. Proteans are played by Zachary Boyd of Cresskill, Bradley Carrington of Berkeley Heights, Carlos Palencia Junior of Fair Lawn, with Courtesans being played by Nikki Alvarado of Allendale, Nicole Henry of Westwood, Maria Possavino of Chestnut Ridge, NY, Melissa Rivera of Dumont, Katherine Stelma of Bloomfield, and Melissa Miller of River Vale.

The Production Team is comprised of Joellen Tierney (Producer), Michele Roth (Associate Producer), Geri Berhain (Production Stage Manager/Assistant to the Director), Jalmari Vanamo (Musical Director), Diana Baer (Choreographer), Carlos Palencia Junior and Nikki Alvarado (Dance Captains), Gerard Bourcier (Set Design/Construction), Lauren Zenreich (Set Décor), Allan Seward (Lighting Design), Randi Kestin and Sandra Conklin (Lighting Operation), Barry Reed (Sound Design), Ian Kenny (Sound Operation), Lynne Lupfer (Costume Design), Katie Lupfer, Olga Garey, Marisa Gore, Susan Kaufman, Bunny Mateosian, and Carlos Palencia Junior (Costumes), Anne Powers (Dresser), Laura Dinoia and Jennifer Bancks (Properties), Joanne Guarnaccia (Make-up), Karen Maikisch-Markle (Hair and Wigs), Ken Slezak, Darlene Slezak, Aura Caicedo, and Jim Resnick (Crew), Richard Frant (Photographer), Felicia Benson-Kraft (Member-at-Large), and Marci K. Weinstein (Program Bios).

Photo Credit: Bergen County Players

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