A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Applause Musical Library) (Paperback)

~ (Composer) "As a rule, authors suspect the quality of any work that is written quickly and rather painlessly..." (more)
Key Phrases: comedy tonight, pretty little picture, hundred minae, Marcus Lycus, Miles Gloriosus, Echo Song (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'The funniest, bawdiest and most enchanting musical that Plautus, with a little help from Stephen Sondheim..., ever wrote... The American theatre has not had a lyricist like this since Hart or Porter' New York Times" --New York Times --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry GelbartIntroduction by Larry Gelbart"This brazenly retro Broadway musical, inspired by Plautus, is as timeless as comedy itself." - Vincent Canby, The New York Times * "The most urbane and literate musical comedy text ever conceived." - John Simon, New York Magazine

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Applause Books (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557830649
• ISBN-13: 978-1557830647
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #493,570 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #10 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Sondheim, Stephen
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captures the Essence of Forum, and then some!, June 21, 2001

By	"psyges" (Indiana, PA United States) - See all my reviews

"Forum" is one of those rare musical comedies...one of those we hardly ever stuble across. "Forum" is actually funny. And I don't just mean "haha" funny. I mean roll in the aisles and laugh until it hurts funny. The jokes just never stop coming-even during the musical numbers!

Here, one can see the springboard for three Tony award winning broadway productions: the script. This is the foundation of "Forum's" comic genius, with a combination of low-brow vaudeville and high-brow wordplay. Comedy in this show hits you at every level in every direction!

The best part is that several songs cut from the show are included in an appendix. There is also a great introduction that explains that long and rough journey "Forum" took before it became a huge hit.

5.0 out of 5 stars This play is great to watch and read. I thoroughly enjoyed watching for my Latin class in high school and reading it in college., December 25, 2008

By	Loran (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

I usually do not enjoy reading something that I've already seen in movie form because I already know the story, however I enjoyed reading the play version. As I read along my memory of the movie came back and I could watch the scenes in my head as I read and sang along. You can definitely see the influence of ancient Rome in this comedic contemporary play. Steven Sondheim also does amazing work with the songs once again.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Sondheim Score!, December 2, 2007

By	Alex C. Mousso "Sondheim Worshipper" (Atlantic City, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Vocal Score) (Paperback)

The first commercially successful show for Stephen Sondheim, "A Funny
Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" is a delightful score that
exhibited creativity and imagination and offered everyone a look at
the marvelous work that was to come.