A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center presents

THE CLASSIC BROADWAY MUSICAL COMEDY
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Performances will span Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 17th through 19th at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, Nov. 20th at 2 pm

October 27, 2011Dix Hills, NY -- he Dix Hills Performing Arts Center proudly presents the hilarious Broadway musical comedy farce,
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” November 17th- 20th here at the Center. Tickets are $15 and $12 for seniors and students.

Directed by Five Towns College professor Bob Stern, this hilarious production will feature a talented cast of students from Five Towns College’s award-winning musical theatre department.

Originally a Broadway smash starring Zero Mostel with music by Stephen Sondheim and book by Bert Shevelove and Larry Gelbart (who would go on to create television’s classic comedy series M*A*S*H) A Funny Thing was made into a film in 1966, also starring Mostel with Phil Silvers and Buster Keaton.

The play was originally inspired by the farces of Pseudolus and Miles Gloriosus by ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251-183BC). The modern play 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 play’s title is taken from a line used by Vaudeville comedians – “a funny thing happened on my way here tonight…” Indeed, the play’s plot displays many elements of farce and satirical comments on social class, and includes puns, the
slamming of doors, cases of mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another).

The musical's original 1962 Broadway run won several Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Book, and lasted nearly 1,000 performances. The play has been successfully revived several times, both on Broadway and in London’s West End, where it first opened in 1966 and was revived 20 years later.

“We are excited to be bringing this Broadway classic to our stage right here in Dix Hills,” said Sandy Hinden, director of the Center. “It is an uproarious, lighthearted romp that is sure to delight and entertain audiences night after night. Join us for a Roman holiday!”

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center at Five Towns College is one of Long Island’s most vibrant cultural organizations, combining the finest in world-class music and performance education in our acoustically superior theater. Five Towns College, founded in 1972, as a community resource for jazz/commercial music education, and today’s Dix Hills Performing Arts Center, provide entertainment, education and inspiration for more than 20,000 Long Islanders each year.

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center is located at Five Towns College, 305 North Service Road, Dix Hills, New York, 11746-5857. For more information and ticket sales, please contact the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center box office at (631) 656-2148 or visit online at www.DHPAC.org *Become a fan on Facebook (Dix Hills Performing Arts Center).