Heller, Pinkleton, Wohl Among Goodspeed's Starry 'FORUM' Cast, Comedy Runs 9/25 - 11/29

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, is proud to announce the cast of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. This hilarious musical comedy of errors from the director who brought you Goodspeed's On the Twentieth Century and Promises, Promises will run from Sept. 25 - Nov. 29 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. This production will be sponsored by Bank of America and associate sponsor Connecticut Light and Power.

Forum features Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.

Returning to Goodspeed Musicals as Pseudolus will be Adam Heller who previously performed in Goodspeed's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Mr. Heller's Broadway credits include Caroline, or Change; A Class Act and Victor / Victoria. Hero will be played by Sam Pinkleton and Philia will be played by Emily Thompson who returns to Goodspeed where she performed this spring in 42nd Street. Senex will be played by David Wohl whose Broadway credits include The Man Who Had All the Luck, Dinner at Eight and Fiddler on the Roof.

Ron Wisniski returns to Goodspeed where he previously appeared in Me and My Girl, Finian's Rainbow and Annie (1996) at the Goodspeed Opera House and Gotham! at The Norma Terris Theatre. Mr. Wisniski, who performed as Lumiere in the National Tour of Beauty and the Beast will play Marcus Lycus. Mary Gutzi who performed numerous roles in the Broadway production of Les Miserables will play Domina.

Erronius will be played by Mark Baker who was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actor for his role in Candide. Nat Chandler whose Broadway credits include The Scarlet Pimpernel will play Miles Gloriosus.

The role of Hysterium will be played by John Scherer. Goodspeed audiences may remember Mr. Scherer as George M. Cohan in the Opera House production of George M! as well as his roles in The Apple Tree and as Bertram Wooster in Goodspeed's production of By Jeeves at The Norma Terris Theatre. Mr. Scherer reprised the role of Wooster for the Broadway production of By Jeeves. His other Broadway credits include Lovemusik and Sunset Boulevard.

Members of the ensemble include Jason Babinsky and Kurt Domoney who appeared on Broadway in A Chorus Line and in the Goodspeed Musicals production of Very Good Eddie in 2003. Panacea will be played by Semhar Ghebremichael, Gymnasia will be played by Laura Kellner, and Vibrata will be played by Kara Kimmer. Steve Konopelski, whose Broadway credits include Gypsy, Hot Feet and Beauty and the Beast joins the ensemble along with Stephanie Lynn Nelson who will play Tintinabula, Abbey O'Brien from Broadway's Pal Joey and Spamalot and Krista Saab also from the Broadway production of Pal Joey. Both will be playing Geminae. The swings will be Michael Biren and Emily SusAnne Franklin.

Forum will be directed and choreographed by Ted Pappas. Mr. Pappas returns to Goodspeed where he directed and choreographed the Opera House productions of On the Twentieth Century; The Apple Tree and Promises, Promises; directed Kiss Me, Kate and helmed The Norma Terris Theatre production of Gotham! as director / choreographer. Mr. Pappas provided additional choreography for Zorba on Broadway.

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