A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996 Broadway Revival Cast) [Cast Recording]

Stephen Sondheim (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 25, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B000002SJO
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,579 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #11 in Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals > Revivals

Track Listings

1. Overture

2. Comedy Tonight

3. Love, I Hear

4. Free

5. House of Marcus Lycus

6. Lovely

7. Pretty Little Picture

8. Everybody Ought to Have a Maid

9. I'm Calm

10. Impossible

11. Bring Me My Bride

12. That Dirty Old Man

13. That'll Show Him

14. Lovely (Reprise)

15. Funeral Sequence

16. Comedy Tonight (Finale)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Music in Good 'Forum', May 26, 2000

By 

"goodie2000" (Mesa, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996 Broadway Revival Cast) (Audio CD)

The number one reason to buy this remake is this: They took all of us musical theatre people's advice and speed it up! The tempo of this rendidtion is quick, smart, well timed musically and comically, and wonderfully orchestrated.

Saks and his team have turned in a fun album of a show that sometimes needs to be seen (Coutesans, Marcus Lycus) to be appreciated. Great attention was paid to sound effects which helps the listening audience understand the action that more than likely was happening on the stage at a particular momnet. And that, my friends, is the mark of a good musical theatre recording.

Much has been said about the individual performances, all of which are clear, well sung, and spoken. However, to say they are good performers is to take away from the real genius here. To make this musical work (and I've done it a couple of times) one has to find a complete cast of talented character actors. Romeo, Maria, Hamlet, and Barbara please sit down and make way for the circus fare. Saks has found his faux with the likes of Lane, Sabella, and Linn-Baker.

At times the orchestrations drag on and the quality of the actual recording could be better if you have an audiophile ear. But for the most part this is a must have for the musical theatre person.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight!, May 2, 2000

By 

Lisa A. Nichols (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996 Broadway Revival Cast) (Audio CD)

My first experience with Forum was through a friend's high school production. Most of the humor went over my head, as well as the actors'! Ten years later, I found this recording, and it is marvelous!

Nathan Lane is priceless, doing exactly what he does best. Of course, pair him with Ernie Sabella and you really can't go wrong. "The House of Marcus Lycus" and "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" are two of the highlights here.

There really isn't a low point at all, Sondheim even handled his romantic leads with a good bit of wit and irony. A must have for any Sondhein fan!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Timeless and Classic, May 5, 2002

By 

Bob Terwilliger - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996 Broadway Revival Cast) (Audio CD)

I personally am not a fan of classic musical theatre (although the time it was written may not be classic, but I do consider the music to be), but I love this album! The lyrics are witty and clever, and the wonderful music is all that I'd expect from Sondheim. This is a sure bet for anyone who's looking for a light-hearted musical where everything turns out okay in the end.