Want to hear something funny? Seriously. Although that sounds like the lead-in to a joke or amusing anecdote and often is, what I’m referring to here is Grove Players upcoming production of “A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” opening on Friday for a three-weekend run.

The comedy is written by Bert Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. As a musical, it offers singing and dancing. The costumes are colorful, and the set is, too. On top of all of those pluses, it has a great cast and crew, according to director Joe Messina of Downers Grove. So, what’s not to like? Messina is hoping audiences will come out and see for themselves.

Messina directed “How the Other Half Loves” for Grove Players last season. Between that production and this new venture, he’s had a few acting roles himself but is happy to be directing again — especially this comedy.

The story revolves around a slave named Pseudolus who lives back in early Roman times and will do anything to gain his freedom. There are star-crossed lovers, missing children, disguises and mistaken identities — truly something for everyone, as the play’s best-known song, “Comedy Tonight,” espouses.

“The theme is about people all searching for different kinds of freedom,” Messina said, “From slavery, from loneliness, from anxiety, from heartbreak and so on.”

It is being presented as a play within a play — as a ragtag, vaudeville-era theater troupe putting on a performance.

“It is a very stylized production, so we can incorporate modern props” such as scuba diving flippers, Messina said.

One significant difference between this production and more standard ones is that the Pseudolus character is being played by a female, he added. Actors Zero Mostel and Nathan Lane, both of Broadway and movie fame, have played that part to critical acclaim. As a result, many theater companies have tried to emulate those examples with similar type actors in the role, Messina said.

The part has been performed by a female before, though — Whoopi Goldberg being one example of this.

“My decision to cast a female, Dona Mullen, in the Pseudolus role was based solely on who was the best comedic actor who auditioned, and that was Dona,” Messina said.

Mullen starred in a Grove Players’ production of “Nunsense” last season, and was, indeed, very funny.

“The entire cast of ‘Forum’ is just a very funny group,” Messina said. “They have good chemistry together.”

In addition to Mullen of Chicago, key roles are Naperville residents Rick Kaminski as Hero, the young man who owns Pseudolus; Catherine Bevard as Philia, Hero’s love interest; Ken Kaden as Senex, Hero’s father; and Downers Grove resident Jan Lown as Domina, Hero’s mother. Other actors include: Rusty Steiger of Lemont as Hysterium; Joe Delaloye of La Grange as Erronius; and Michael Van Belle of Elmwood Park as Lycus.

What will be of special interest to longtime Grove Players audience members, however, will be watching the always-great Frank Vallach of Westmont stride onstage as the Capt. Miles Gloriosus just as he did about 15 years ago, when Grove Players last presented this musical comedy.

Also among those working on this production are Grove Players President Marilyn Ludwig of Downers Grove, stage manager Vicki Shargo of Downers Grove, music director Jack Short of Des Plaines, choreographer Cheryl Pold of Westchester and producer Dee Bozich of Clarendon Hills. Mike Kellner of Willowbrook gets special credit for training a new lighting crew.

In addition, there are other cast members plus crew chiefs and members working on everything from sets to costuming to lighting — all of whom deserve credit for their work, Messina said.

To see the results of their labors and have one heck of a good time, come see the show.