When we heard that Bayou City Theatrics was taking a “modern approach to casting” for a play set in ancient Rome, we were intrigued, and challenged Luke Hamilton, BCT resident choreographer, who also appears as Hero in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, to explain the audition process. “In our production, a handful of roles traditionally played by males were cast as females; however, we treat their characters as genderless,” he explained. “This show’s script has multiple commentaries on gender roles. With these casting choices, the commentaries take on a new meaning.” For a play dependent on classic elements of farce, including mistaken identity and impersonation, this alone should keep the audience on its toes.
Still fairly new to Houston, this musical theater company has forged a path of “art from new perspectives,” which means that it has launched an ambitious season of re-imagining Broadway’s most beloved musicals. Colton Berry, who was named to our 100 Creatives 2013 list as BCT artistic director, is serving as director and production designer on A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, BCT’s first offering of the spring season. Production design also has been updated, but Hamilton wouldn’t disclose much, hoping to save some surprises for the audience, “[The play] is typically designed very traditionally.”
Without giving too much away, Berry has emphasized bringing an ancient Roman story ‘back to life.’” He was more forthcoming on delivery of the material, which also has been updated. “Beyond gender-swapping, these well-known characters have been given innovative and brand new motivations and identities that bring a sense of modern hilarity to the piece,” said Hamilton. “Taking new approaches to well-known work is what BCT is all about!”
“[This] is a comedy from the start to the finish. The choreography is fastpaced, energetic, surprising, athletic, frenetic and chaotic,” added Hamilton, who also serves as bctEDU head of dance. “It was important to the director, and myself as the choreographer that the consistent jokes, humor and characterspecific gags not disappear the second that a scene transitions into a choreographed sequence.”
Whitney Zangarine plays Pseudolus, Nicole NortonSlatnick is Philia, Jayson Kolbicz is Captain Miles Gloriosus, Will Ledesma is Senex, Kelly Waguespack is Domina, Berry is Hysterium, Laz Estrada is Marcus Lycus and Trevor Grace is Erronius. Rounding out the cast are Tori Shoemaker, Megan Vaughn, Ashlee Zoch, Michelle Mayo, Ashley Carfine,Jessica Rohe and Christa Ruiz.
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays. Through March 1. The Kaleidoscope,705 Main at Capitol. For information, call 8324444400 or visit BayouCityTheatrics.com. $35 to $40.
Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 5 p.m. Starts: Feb. 13. Continues through March 1, 2015
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2015.
