NEWARK, DE — Scheming servants, mistaken identities, and romantic mishaps are about to turn ancient Rome into a comedy of chaos as The Brandywiners Second Stage brings Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum to Newark for four performances.
The musical opens Thursday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. at the Otello Meucci Performing Arts Center at Newark Charter, with additional performances through Sunday, Nov. 1. Combining the outrageous humor of ancient Roman comedy with the energy of classic vaudeville, the production promises an evening of clever wordplay, elaborate schemes and unexpected twists.
Featuring music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum follows Pseudolus, a resourceful enslaved servant determined to secure freedom by helping a young master find romance.
The plan seems simple enough: Help Hero win the heart of Philia, a beautiful courtesan, in exchange for freedom. But the arrangement quickly unravels into a whirlwind of mistaken identities, romantic complications, disguises, and increasingly desperate attempts to keep the scheme from falling apart.
Inspired by the farces of ancient Roman playwright Plautus, the musical brings together characters whose competing desires and misunderstandings create a fast-moving chain of comedic disasters.
The Brandywiners production is directed by S. Lee Lewis, with music direction by Clint Williams and choreography by Shannon Lynch. Christy Lewis serves as production manager, while Cindy Schneeman and Jeffrey Santoro are the producers.
Leading the cast is Carrie Naylor as Pseudolus, the quick-thinking servant whose elaborate plans drive the story.
Cole Moseley portrays Hero, the lovestruck young man at the center of the romantic pursuit, while Leah Sands plays Philia, the object of his affection.
Andrew Cox appears as Hysterium, with Tracy Jacobs as Domina, Seth Walter as Senex, Joe Purifico as Erronius, John Kline as Miles Gloriosus, and Drew Biehl as Marcus Lycus.
The ensemble also includes Ken Jones, Charles Spyres, Larry Denburg and Michael Ignudo as the Proteans, performers who take on multiple roles throughout the production.
Adding to the comedy are Alayna Coates as Gymnasia, Emma Bradley-Dingle and Karla Bradley-Manhard as the Geminae twins, Julia Gray as Tintinabula, Atlas Block as Vibrata and Megan McDonald as Panacea.
Together, the cast brings to life a world of eccentric characters, exaggerated personalities and overlapping schemes that have made the musical a favorite of community and professional theater companies for decades.
The production’s humor draws from a theatrical tradition dating back more than 2,000 years. Plautus’ Roman comedies relied on clever servants, mistaken identities, romantic pursuits, and social satire, elements that remain central to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Sondheim, Shevelove and Gelbart adapted those conventions into a Broadway musical that premiered in 1962 and went on to win several Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
The show later inspired Broadway and West End revivals and a film adaptation starring Zero Mostel, who originated the role of Pseudolus on Broadway.
For The Brandywiners Second Stage, the production offers an opportunity to showcase a large ensemble of comedic performers through a musical that relies on precise timing, physical comedy, and rapid exchanges between characters.
From slamming doors and unexpected disguises to elaborate misunderstandings, the show’s humor builds as Pseudolus struggles to keep an increasingly complicated plan from collapsing.
Audiences can expect a combination of Sondheim’s musical storytelling, vaudeville-inspired comedy, and colorful characters whose ambitions repeatedly collide.
Event Details
- What: The Brandywiners Second Stage presents A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a musical comedy featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.
- When: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, at 8 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m.
- Where: Otello Meucci Performing Arts Center at Newark Charter, 200 McIntire Drive, Newark, DE 19711
- Cost/Tickets: Evening performances: $25 for adults ages 19 and older; $23 for seniors ages 62 and older and military personnel; $20 for students ages 13–18. Matinee ticket prices were not specified. All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable.
- More Info: Tickets are available at www.Brandywiners.org or https://bit.ly/4gUl1IM
The production contains mature themes and is recommended for audience members ages 13 and older.
With four performances scheduled across Halloween weekend, theatergoers can choose between Thursday and Friday evening shows or Saturday and Sunday matinees.
For audiences looking for a different kind of Halloween weekend entertainment, The Brandywiners Second Stage offers a trip to ancient Rome where romance, ambition, and a little creative deception lead to one comic disaster after another.
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