Theater Down South Pays Tribute To Sondheim, FORUM Runs Through 10/30

It's Manila's turn to greet musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim a happy 80^th birthday.  Two Sondheim musicals are opening this month of October:  one of which is prolific theatre company Atlantis Productions Inc.'s touring production of "A Little Night Music", starring Philippine cinema's multi-award-winning actress Dawn Zulueta as Desirée Armfeldt; the other one is community theatre company Theater Down South's (TDS) production of "A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum", featuring young thespians Chino Veguillas as Pseudolus, Jacob Kliatchko Gayanelo as Hero, and Carla Gonzalez as Philia. 

TDS's production of Sondheim's 1963 Tony award-winning musical comedy "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" opens on the weekend of October 2-3, 2010 at the Insular Life Theatre, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang.  The show runs on weekends only until October 30, 2010. 

The company's artistic director Michael Williams ("Sweeney Todd", "Master Class") describes Sondheim's earlier work as "the epitome of musical comedy". 

"It's Sondeim's funniest!  And it has very catchy songs," he adds.  The bouncy, tongue-twisting and hilarious show tune "Comedy Tonight" is one of the big musical numbers in the show.

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", which was also turned into a movie in 1966 and was revived on Broadway in 1996 starring Tony award-winning comedian Nathan Lane as the Roman slave Pseudolus, is based on the popular farces by Roman playwright Plautus (215-183 B.C.).  It follows the story of Pseudolus and his untiring efforts to win his freedom by helping his young master Hero woo the woman he loves - the girl next door Philia.  Just like old vaudeville comedies, the show utilizes quick jokes full of slapstick humors, countless slamming of doors, several character disguises, and satirical comments on different social classes.

Apart from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "A Little Night Music", Sondheim composed music and wrote lyrics for stage musicals "Company", "Follies", "Sweeney Todd", "Sunday In the Park with George", "Into the Woods" and "Assassins".  An Academy , Grammy, Pulitzer Prize, and multiple Tony award-winning composer (he has eight Tony Awards plus a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre), he also penned lyrics for classic stage masterpieces "West Side Story" and "Gypsy". 

The Henry Miller Theatre located at 124 West 43^rd Street, between Broadway and 6^th Avenue in Manhattan's theatre district, was recently renamed The Stephen Sondheim Theatre. 

For tickets to TDS's "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", call telephone number (632)505-6380 or mobile number (63916)643-6976.  You may also email info@theaterdownsouth.com or visit www.theaterdownsouth.com or www.ticketworld.com.ph.

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