These are frightening times, and we all must take necessary precautions as we social distance and self-isolate. That being said, you deserve a break every now and then. Welcome to Playbill's Daily Distraction.
Day 52: Toga Troubles
On this day in 1962, Broadway brought in a new dose of lovers, liars, and clowns with the premiere of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. But 35 years later, audiences got those old situations with new complications, with Whoopi Goldberg stepping into the Broadway revival, replacing Nathan Lane as Pseudolus.
Check out a sizzle reel from the EGOT winner's stint in the musical above.
After singing the praises of Stephen Sondheim, Goldberg admits that it's not his intricate wordplay that's the most difficult part of the role. "That damn toga," she says with a straight face. "You can't look cute in a toga."
In a soundbite that's as close to a sign of the times as you can get, Goldberg says she wants to appease those who paid to be entertained: "You can't ask for more than that—particularly for $75 bucks. That's a lot of money. They better have a good time." One: Is $75 a lot to Whoopi Goldberg? Two: If only the top ticket price were still $75! Or that there were shows to pay to attend.
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