A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Nashville Shakespeare Festival's current production of Coriolanus went out of its way to avoid togas in its costuming, but if it's togas you like&--plus a dash of satire and music--Franklin's Pull-Tight Players are presenting this zany, Tony Award-winning opus, which features the considerable writing skills of comic master Larry Gelbart and composer Stephen Sondheim. Forum is one of Sondheim's early successes (1962), achieved after he wrote the lyrics for West Side Story but before he launched his plan to essentially overhaul the modern American musical. The play is based on the farces of ancient Roman playwright Plautus, and the more conventional score is lively stuff, though possibly only the opening number, "Comedy Tonight," remains a Broadway standby. Pat Street directs the cast of community-theater players.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m. Starts: Aug. 29. Continues through Sept. 20, 2008