A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a
musical with music and lyrics by
Stephen Sondheim and book by
Burt Shevelove and
Larry Gelbart.
Inspired by the
farces of the
ancient Roman playwright
Plautus (251–183 BC), specifically
Pseudolus,
Miles Gloriosus and
Mostellaria, the musical tells the bawdy story of a
slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The plot displays many classic elements of
farce, including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of
mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another), and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from the line that
vaudeville comedians often used to begin a story: "A funny thing happened on the way to the theater".
The musical's original 1963
Broadway run won several
Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book.
A Funny Thing has enjoyed several Broadway and
West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical,
Zero Mostel.
