Nevada Conservatory’s ‘Forum’ delivers laughs right from start

You know what you're in for right away with Nevada Conservatory's production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."

The top of an unsteady ladder appears from the orchestra pit. After three tries at reaching the stage, a jester of a man asks for a hand. We hear applause. He asks again. The conductor extends his hand, the man grabs it, and "hand" comes off. No mistake about it. This is not going to be "Medea."

The jester - a slave named Pseudolus - is soon leading the 18-member company (backed by a 12-member orchestra) in "Comedy Tonight," an ingenious, bouncy number that tells the audience what lies ahead (including "Tumblers! Grumblers! Bumblers! Fumblers!").

What needs to be said about the plot of the Bert Shevelove/Larry Gelbart/Stephen Sondheim comic musical except that we're in ancient Rome, Pseudolus wants his freedom, and the play is his scheme to get it. The belly laughs are there from the beginning, but under Rick and Tammy Pessagno's direction, they deepen as the plot moves forward. There's a logic to the story and a reality base to the production that makes the most absurd situations feel right. The Pessagnos' choreography is suitably tongue-in-cheek, surprisingly detailed and, best yet, helps tell the tale.

As our lead character, union actor Jamie Torcellini carries himself with a glint of mischief. He allows us to see what a kick Pseudolus gets out of his naughtiness. And you can feel the wheels spinning in his head as he tries to overcome one obstacle after another.

Billy Reed has masculine authority for Hero, Pseudolus' young master. He looks like a skilled warrior who has been made boyish by the magic of first love. And Jennifer Johnson is humorously domineering as a domineering wife. (It's unfortunate, though, that several performers too often comment on their characters.)

Dana Williams' set, Jeremy Hodges' lights and Maria Radeva-Nedyalkova's costumes are bold and playful.

Call me easy, but I can't imagine anyone not liking this.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.