The original production, which opened in 1962 the Alvin Theatre (what is now the Neil Simon Theatre), played 964 performances - still the longest Broadway run for a Stephen Sondheim-written musical. Larry Gelbart, one of the co-authors, is perhaps best-known for his Emmy-winning writing for the long-running CBS series M*A*S*H." The original cast included Zero Mostel (Pseudolus) and Jack Gilford (Hysterium). Mostel and Michael Crawford (as Hero) appeared in the 1966 film version. In 1974, Phil Silvers headlined and won a Tony for this 156-performance revival. A Broadway revival opened in 1996, and Nathan Lane won a Tony for his portrayal of Pseudolus. Whoopi Goldberg was among his replacements, necessitating some minor book adjustments to accommodate the gender switch."

Photo Credit:
Zero Mostel in the original production of Forum; photo by John Dominis, LIFE Images