Cincinnati Shakespeare Company kicked off its 25th anniversary season by opening its doors to new classics and braving its own personal tempest in the form of a wayward hurricane-induced rainstorm for the opening night of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Most of the audience spent the evening empathizing with the character Hysterium when he is dunked in water! Thankfully, this classic tale by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, kept us laughing throughout and warmed us right up. Best known for its successful run as a Tony-award winning musical comedy on Broadway, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” is just one way that CSC continues to broaden our horizons. This lighthearted season opener in the form of an antic-filled Roman musical leverages a talented ensemble cast and the cleverly intimate design of The Otto M. Budig Theater, tickling your funny bone through a well-executed farcical tale based on a delightful web of lies.

For those unfamiliar with the tale, it tells the bawdy story of a lowly servant named Pseudolus who is seeking to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door, who just happens to be a virgin courtesan (and no, that is not a typo). Through delightful twists and turns amongst unlikely neighbors, desperate lovers and a trio of hard-working eunuchs, CSC sings and dances its way to a successful vaudevillian toga-party that sets the tone for an amazing season to come.

Farce is hard at work in this particular production, as puns, door slamming, mistaken identify and some well-placed satire keep you engaged throughout. If that were not enough, live musicians perform while elevated above the antics below in a well-designed set whose color palette effectively sets the tone. The entire cast does an excellent job, but Matthew Lewis Johnson in the role of Pseudolus carries the show in partnership with his ‘straight-man’ counterpart, Jeremy Dubin as Hysterium. Their infectious and robust energy, not to mention their complementary yet contrasting physical appearance, enable them to be the proverbial odd couple. As the story unfolds, you’ll be hard pressed to unravel the various story lines, but the brilliance of Sondheim and CSC brings it all together in a way that will delight you as surely as the final scenes of the movie “Animal House.” Keep an ear out for the signature CSC zingers sprinkled throughout their shows (one hint: Phil Collins) and make them such a wonderful elegy for William Shakespeare himself.

CSC always delivers and this particular show is in such high demand, they have already added new showings. Their 25th anniversary season promises to be a “show-stopper” (pun intended), showcasing some of the best of the bard with “Twelfth Night,” “The Winter’s Tale” and “MacBeth,” along with other classics such as “Fences,” “1984” and “A Flea in Her Ear.” For those with children, CSC offers artist-led childcare with their Playdate program during certain shows, and they are currently enrolling for their acting classes (Act One for Grades 2-5, Groundlings Jr. for Grades 6-9, and Groundlings for Grades 10-12). Shakespeare himself said “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” So without further ado, I bid thee to get thyself to thy theater to see “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” runs September 7-29, 2018 at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Christi Geary is the proud mom of two girls (8 and 11), best friend and wife of her husband Brian, and an Associate Director at the Procter & Gamble Company focused on shopper innovation insights and analytics. She enjoys and participates in art of every kind, feeds an insatiable curiosity for learning every day through books and connecting with others, pursues different forms of exercise when she can find the time to balance out her foodie predilection (highly recommend DanceFix and Pilates Reformer), and delights in spending time with family and friends. Writing reviews for the arts is an absolute privilege and one she cherishes every day, with the hope that sharing her perspective will inspire others to embrace the arts.