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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opened on Broadway May 8, 1962 at the Alvin Theatre. Directed by Broadway legend George Abbott and produced by Hal Prince, it ran 964 performances.

The show's creators originally wanted Phil Silvers in the lead role of Pseudolus, but he turned them down (allegedly because he would have to perform onstage without his glasses, and his vision was so poor, he feared tripping into the orchestra pit). So did Milton Berle. Eventually, Zero Mostel was cast.

Out of town during pre-Broadway tryouts, the show was attracting little business and not playing well. Director and choreographer Jerome Robbins was called in by Abbott and Prince to give advice and make changes. The biggest change Robbins demanded was a new opening number to introduce the show as a bawdy, wild comedy; Stephen Sondheim complied, creating the song "Comedy Tonight." From that point on, the show was a success.

Along with Mostel, the musical featured a cast of seasoned performers, including Jack Gilford (Mostel's friend and fellow blacklist member), David Burns, John Carradine, Ruth Kobart and Raymond Walburn. The young lovers were played by Brian Davies and Preshy Marker. Karen Black, originally cast as the ingenue, was replaced out of town.

The show won several Tony Awards: best musical, best actor, best supporting actor (Burns), best book, and best director. The score, Sondheim's first time on Broadway writing both words and music, was coolly received, however, not even garnering a nomination.

 Motion picture

Main article: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was made into a film in 1966, directed by Richard Lester, with Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford recreating their stage roles.

 Broadway revivals

In 1972 there was a critically well-received Broadway revival, directed by co-author Burt Shevelove and starring Phil Silvers. Larry Blyden, who played Hysterium, the role created by Jack Gilford, also co-produced. Two songs were dropped from the show, and two new Sondheim songs were added. The new songs included in this production had been added during a 1971 Los Angeles production: "Echo Song" (sung by Hero and Philia), and "Farewell" (sung by Domina as she and Senex depart for the country). The production ran 156 performances, but had to close soon after Phil Silvers suffered a stroke. The show won Tonys for Silvers and Blyden.

The musical was also revived with great success in 1996, starring Nathan Lane as Pseudolus; he was replaced later in the run by Whoopi Goldberg and also by David Alan Grier. The production, directed by Jerry Zaks, ran 715 performances. Lane won the Best Actor Tony for his work.

Every actor who has opened in the role of Pseudolus on Broadway (Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers and Nathan Lane) won a Best Actor Tony for their performance. In addition, Jason Alexander, who performed as Pseudolus in one scene in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, also won a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.

Other productions

The Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts produced a limited-run revival of the musical from January 11 to 27, 2008. The production is directed by Randal K. West, with Justin Hill as musical director and Adam Cates as choreographer. Announced cast members include Richard Kind as Pseudolus, Joel Blum as Senex, Stephen DeRosa as Marcus Lycus, Sean McCall as Hysterium, and Steve Wilson as Miles Gloriosus. ^{[1] [2]}

 West End productions

The show was presented thrice in London's West End. The 1963 production and its 1986 revival were staged at the Strand Theatre and the Piccadilly Theatre respectively, and featured Frankie Howerd starring as Pseudolus. In 2004 there was a limited-run revival at the Royal National Theatre starring Desmond Barrit as Pseudolus, Philip Quast as Miles Gloriosus, Hamish McColl as Hysterium and Isla Blair as Domina (who had previously played Philia in the 1963 production.)

 Characters

• Pseudolus: A Roman slave, owned by Hero, who seeks to win his/her freedom by helping his/her young master win the heart of Philia. While originally written as a male role, it has been performed by female cast as well.
• Hero: Young son of Senex who falls in love with the virgin, Philia.
• Philia: (Filia, Latin for "daughter"; also, "Philia" is the Greek word for "love.") A virgin in the house of Marcus Lycus, and Hero's love interest.
• Senex: (Latin for "old man," or "senile") A Roman senator living in a less fashionable suburb of Rome.
• Marcus Lycus: A purveyor of courtesans, who operates from the house to the left of Senex. (Since he is a con man, his name is very likely based on "likes a mark".)
• Domina: (Latin for "mistress") The wife of Senex. A manipulative, shrewish woman who is loathed by even her husband.
• Erronius: (Latin for "wrong") Senex's elderly neighbor who has spent the past twenty years searching for his two children, kidnapped in infancy by pirates.
• Gymnasia: (Latin for "Nude", though could be a play on words for "Gymnasium") A courtesan from the house of Lycus with whom Pseudolus falls in love. (portrayed in the film as mute, as she hails from "the Island of Silent Women")
• Miles Gloriosus: (Latin for "braggart soldier") A captain in the Roman army to whom Marcus Lycus has promised Philia.
• Hysterium: (Latin for "Hysterical", or "Anxious") The chief slave in the house of Senex.
• Fertilla the Populator: A female "breeder slave" purchased by Senex and Domina. (film only)
• Crassus: A merchant at the docks. (film only)
• Tintinabula: (Latin for "Bell") A jingling, bell-wearing courtesan in the house of Lycus.
• Vibrata: (Latin for "Vibrant") A wild, vibrant courtesan in the house of Lycus.
• Geminae: (Latin for "Twins") Twin courtesans in the house of Lycus.
• Panacea: (Latin for "Cure All") A courtesan in the house of Lycus.
• Domina's Mother: Senex's overweening mother-in-law. (briefly mentioned in the play; only actually seen by the audience in the film)
• Proteans: Literally the chorus, they play multiple roles in the play (slaves, citizens, soldiers, and eunuchs), and they accompany Pseudolus in "Comedy Tonight" (in the play, three people played all of these roles; in the film, these parts were played by extras).

 Songs

• "Comedy Tonight" — Pseudolus and Company
• "Love, I Hear" — Hero
• "Free" — Pseudolus and Hero
• "The House of Marcus Lycus" — Lycus and Pseudolus
• "Lovely" — Philia and Hero
• "Pretty Little Picture" — Pseudolus, Hero, and Philia
• "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" — Pseudolus, Senex, Lycus, and Hysterium
• "I'm Calm" — Hysterium
• "Impossible" — Senex and Hero
• "Bring Me My Bride" — Miles Gloriosus and Company
• "That Dirty Old Man" — Domina
• "That'll Show Him" — Philia
• "Lovely" (reprise) — Pseudolus and Hysterium
• "Funeral Sequence" — Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Company
• "Finale" — Company

Note: The songs "Love, I Hear", "Free", "The House of Marcus Lycus", "Pretty Little Picture", "I'm Calm", "Impossible", "That Dirty Old Man" and "That'll Show Him" were cut from the film.