A ribald, raucous and politically incorrect good time.
by Sheli Ellsworth
Opening night at A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by the Cabrillo Music Theatre was a ribald, raucous and politically incorrect good time. Utilizing vaudevillian humor and burlesque bawdry, the cast launched the tale of Roman slave Pseudolus scheming his way to freedom with veteran showman Nick Santa Maria playing Pseudolus. Santa Maria led the comedic charge brilliantly. Flanked by the hysterical Larry Raben as Hysterium, the two ingenious funnymen had the audience in stitches for the entire two acts while they ad-libbed at will. Andrew Metzger as Marcus Lycus, “the merchant of love, gentlemen and procurer,” introduced his own fresh conviviality as the flesh peddler next door.
The classic song, “Everybody Ought to have a Maid,” was an instant audience favorite explaining the neighborhood courtesans were merely maids. However, choreographer John Charron did due diligence to disclaim this when the courtesans took the stage. Adeptly directed by Ovation winner Lewis Wilkenfeld, the entire cast ticked off exact comedic timing leaving no moment without hilarity. Look for mistaken identities, long lost
The musical farce runs through Sunday, February 14, making it the perfect sweetheart date. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is an additional matinee with free parking on February 10 at 1 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Box Office at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. They can also be purchased at www.cabrillomusictheatre.com or by calling (800) 745-3000.
