Fri 11/14 @ 8PM
It’s easy to forget that Broadway musical were once widely known as “musical comedy,” given the glut of intense, dark musicals in the past several decades. Not that they were ever all sweetness and light; pioneering musicals like Carousel (1945) had more than their share of dark moments. But certainly it wasn’t as rare to find a fun night of song, dance and high spirits as it is now.
The Cleveland Pops Orchestra brings some of Broadway’s more laugh-inducing moments to the Severance Hall stage in a show called “Comedy Tonight.” It’s a reference to a song from the 1962 musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the Stephen Sondheim musical based on the comedic plays of ancient Roman playwright Plautus.
But conductor Carl Topilow and his ensemble, joined by nationally noted guest singers Christine Pedi, Christiane Noll (pictured) and Jason Graee, won’t have to go back 50 years to find funny stuff for their program. Even today, musicals like The Book of Mormon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Spamalot keep the spirit alive. But they’ll be tackling classics as well, with pieces from The Music Man, Guys and Dolls and How to Success in Business Without Trying, as well as the musical that lent the evening its title.
Tickets are $29-$85.