By Laura Jane Pittman
“Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone, a comedy tonight!” This popular refrain, familiar to most people, opens a production that is truly for everyone—the hilarious musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, coming to Jacksonville on August 23 and 24 at the Florida Theatre in its second collaboration with Theatre Jacksonville of a Broadway musical in concert.
Last year’s late summer musical concert production of Mame, the first ever joint venture between the two historic venues, had an enthusiastic reception, nearly sold-out crowds and fantastic reviews. Almost immediately, Theatre Jacksonville’s Executive Director Sarah Boone and Florida Theatre President Numa Saisselin sat down to plan another August venture—the time of the year chosen purposefully because it is historically slow for many theaters.
“It was incredibly encouraging to see the city and region embrace a production of this kind, especially in the summer months. When we began kicking around another show for this year, everything fell into place when the key members of our creative professional team said yes immediately to returning,” says Boone. “We’re honored to welcome back Jean Tait as director, Joey Chancey as music director, and Jay Ivey as choral director.”
The choice of a show was relatively easy. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the story of a slave who tries to win her freedom by helping her young master woo the girl next door, is a classic farce which appeals to a very wide audience. The original production won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. “And you can’t go wrong,” Boone adds, “with music by Stephen Sondheim.”
