 |
| Phil Silvers, Larry Blyden. |
A FUNNY THING
HAPPENED TO ME ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM [Musical Revival] B: Burt Shevelove
and Larry Gelbart; M/LY: Stephen Sondheim; D: Burt Shevelove; CH: Ralph
Beaumont; S: James Trittipo; C: Noel Taylor; L: H.H. Poindexter; P: David Black
i/a/w Seymour Vale and Henry Honeckman in the Larry Blyden Production; T:
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre; 3/30/72-8/12/72 (159)
 |
| Keita Keita Carl Ballantine, Phil Silvers, John Hansen. |
An hilarious revival of the 1962 musical that allowed top
banana comedian Phil Silvers to play Pseudolus, which he had turned down in the
original only to see it become one of Zero Mostel’s greatest hits. The
Shevelove-Gelbart-Sondheim musicalization of several of ancient Roman farces by
Plautus was also blessed with risible performances by Larry Blyden as Hysterium
and Carl Ballantine as Lycus (played in the 1966 film version by Silvers).
 |
| Larry Blyden, Phil Silvers. |
Some controversial revisions in the book and score had been
made, among them the removal of two songs (“Pretty Little Picture” and “That’ll
Show Him”) and the addition of two new ones (“Farewell” and “Echo Song”). When
Silvers, who received nearly unanimous raves, fell ill in the summer of 1972
and had to be replaced by Tom Poston, business slackened and the show was forced
to close early.
 |
| Charlene Ryan, Keita Keita, Sonja Haney, Trish Mahoney, Barbara Brown, Lauren Lucas, Phil Silvers. |
Larry Blyden won the Tony for Best Supporting Actor,
Musical, and Silvers walked off with the Best Actor award. Shevelove took home
the Best Director, Musical Tony.
