<P> The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada production ran from June 11 to November 7, 2009, with Des McAnuff directing and Wayne Cilento as choreographer . Bruce Dow originally performed the role of Pseudolus, but was forced to withdraw from the entire 2009 season due to an injury, and the role was then performed by Seán Cullen as of September 5, 2009 . Stephen Ouimette played Hysterium . Mirvish Productions presented the earlier Stratford production at the Canon Theatre, Toronto, in December 2010 through January 2011 . Bruce Dow and Sean Cullen were alternates in the lead role . </P> <P> In October 2012 the play opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Australia, with Geoffrey Rush as Pseudolus, Magda Szubanski as Domina and Shane Bourne as Senex . Stephen Sondheim came to Melbourne specifically to watch the show . </P> <P> A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was produced at Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey from November 14, 2015 to December 13, 2015 . The production was performed by an all - male cast (Paul Castree, Eddie Cooper, Kevin Isola, David Josefsberg, Max Kumangai, Graham Rowat, Manny Stark, Bobby Conte Thornton, David Turner, Michael Urie, Tom Deckman, and Christopher Fitzgerald). </P> <P> In ancient Rome, some neighbors live in three adjacent houses . In the center is the house of Senex, who lives there with wife Domina, son Hero, and several slaves, including head slave Hysterium and the musical's main character Pseudolus . A slave belonging to Hero, Pseudolus wishes to buy, win, or steal his freedom . One of the neighboring houses is owned by Marcus Lycus, who is a buyer and seller of beautiful women; the other belongs to the ancient Erronius, who is abroad searching for his long - lost children (stolen in infancy by pirates). </P>

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum broadway cast