Buffalo Theater: O’Connell & Company’s contemporary twist on a classic hits all the right notes

By Nathan Andrew Miller

Above: The ensemble of Forum. (Photo: O’Connell & Company)

A production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum? In 2026?

Although a relatively well-known musical, based on the plays of Plautus, Forum is certainly awash in misogyny. It is very of its time, and it features a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart that is clever and quippy, but yes, very ’60s. Still, it’s a very good Sondheim score, and a pacey comedy to boot.

In O’Connell & Company’s production, staged at Canterbury Woods, they’ve flipped the potential problems on their head — no men!

The show opens with a welcome from Julianna Tracey as Pseudolus, and jumps out of the gun from there. Steve Vaughan brings his signature brand of fast pace and slapstick, aided by his wife, Terri Filips Vaughan, and her effective choreography, and the entire ensemble is off to work.

Tracey brings the audience along, acting as narrator and managing the story and its action. In short, Pseudolus is trying to secure his freedom from his master, Hero. To do this, he must free Hero’s love interest, Philia, from Marcus Lycus’ house of ill repute. And, as in any good farce, there are what feels like hundreds of other subplots. So the cast races around the stage, slamming doors, giving chase, wearing wigs and in some cases circling the hills of Rome seven times.

Lex Cueva and Sydney Conrad are fantastically simple and innocent as our young lovers, Hero and Philia. Even in moments where she lacks innocence (Philia is a courtesan, after all), Conrad brings a matter-of-factness to her role that delights. Cueva (they/them) brings earnestness in their performance of “Love, I Hear” and a wonderful sense of comedic timing. They make the most of their stage time, especially when finding out that Philia has been sold to Captain Miles Gloriosus.

Marcus Lycus, admirably played here by Theresa Werth, presents the courtesans to Pseudolus, which means each of them gets a distinct personality and dance break that matches. Each courtesan makes the most of their stage time, and Filips Vaughan’s work is on display best here. As for the Captain, Marie Hasselback-Costa brings the perfect energy for this bombastic buffoon, and I’m so happy to see her doing more musicals.

As Hero’s parents, Senex and Domina, Audrianna Yates and Dasia Cervi bring even more comedy. The endless choruses of “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid,” sung and danced by Yates, Tracy, Werth, and Sam Crystal as the aptly named Hysterium, seem much funnier when performed by these ladies. Cervi — whose performance as Effie in Dreamgirls with AnsariSaxon Productions was a highlight of my season this year — shows off her incredible range, both vocal and comedic!

On the subject of AnsariSaxon Productions, Karen Saxon herself deserves plenty of credit for her music direction on this production of Forum. Because much of the score is written for men, Saxon transposed the score so that all actors were comfortable, and it shows! There were a few moments where the lack of body mics made it difficult to hear soloists over the ensemble or the orchestral tracks, but Canterbury Woods is a new space for O’Connell, and bumps are natural.

Rare and unobtrusive bumps aside, I went into this production expecting a few laughs and exited with my expectations exceeded. If you love this show, you’ll enjoy this rendition. If you don’t typically enjoy Forum, it’s worth giving this specific production a chance.

My favorite facet was that this group of actors felt like a true ensemble — not just when they came together for the opening number, “Comedy Tonight,” but throughout. These are characters who genuinely know one another, who live in the same world, and the audience will walk away, totally entertained and truly believing it.