Inspired by the farces of the 
					ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251–183 BC),  this is 
					the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts 
					to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl 
					next door. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, 
					including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of mistaken 
					identity (frequently involving characters disguising 
					themselves as one another), and satirical comments on social 
					class. The title derives from the line that vaudeville 
					comedians often used to begin a story: "A funny thing 
					happened on the way to the theater". The musical's original 
					1962 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best 
					Musical and Best Book.