A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre

Daily Herald - Somewhat Recommended

"...Comically, however, this "Forum" comes off as more fine than first-rate. There's a missing spontaneity from many of the actors, whose reactions at times feel forced rather than genuine. Additional urgency would also energize the chases and near-miss entrance and exits that threaten to foil Pseudolus' plans."

Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended

"...The many stories about the complicated production history of mounting Forum in 1962 describe the show as an attempt to return laughs and low comedy to what had become an innocuous and sterile Broadway stage. Listen, it succeeded. A show this unapologetically politically incorrect might be a risky choice for audiences in heavily hash-tagged, uber-woke 2019. After all, it's a period piece twice over, if you count both the unenlightened Ancient Roman era it's set in and the not-so-evolved-from-that early 1960s America when it debuted. Most of the jokes rely on a lighthearted acceptance of unsavory attitudes toward women, old-school sexual politics and slavery, which, though arguably historically accurate, can be a big ask. The great news here is that Rawitz truly triumphs over this pitfall by empowering her cast to treat the material fearlessly and playfully, steering the wheel into the ridiculous, over-the-top spin of it all. The audience happily jumps on for this fast-paced, irreverent ride."