Directed by Randal K. West, the Sondheim Center's founding artistic director, the musical comedy will play the Iowa venue Jan. 11-27. The cast will feature Richard Kind as Pseudolus, Joel Blum as Senex, Stephen DeRosa as Marcus Lycus, Sean McCall as Hysterium and Steve Wilson as Miles Gloriosus.

The creative team will also include Justin Hill (musical director), Adam Cates (choreographer) and Michael Cassara (casting).

The Center's opening gala weekend in December 2007 featured a Sondheim concert led by Kind, Liz Callaway, Len Cariou, Donna Lynne Champlin, Kristin Huffman and Pamela Myers.

In a statement artistic director West said, "We are proud and grateful that [Richard Kind], who is accustomed to performing on Broadway and in Hollywood was so impressed by our new theatre and our community that he has chosen to return. We couldn't ask for a better start to our inaugural season."

Richard Kind has been seen on Broadway in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers, Sly Fox and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. His other theatrical credits include Bounce, Rough Crossing, Once in a Lifetime, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Big Knife, Accomplice, Power Failure, The Seagull, Perfect and Gravity Shoes. Among his film and television credits are "Spin City," "Mad About You," "Scrubs," "Still Standing," "Just Shoot Me," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," "Quicksand," "Stargate," "Clifford" and "Mr. Saturday Night." A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum won six Tony Awards when it debuted on Broadway in 1962 under the direction of George Abbott. Produced by Hal Prince, Forum ran for 964 performances. The original Broadway production starred Zero Mostel, who repeated his work for the 1966 film version. Forum has enjoyed two Broadway revivals: one with Phil Silvers and the other with Nathan Lane as Pseudolus.

Songs from the production include "Comedy Tonight," "Love, I Hear," "That Dirty Old Man," "Free," "Lovely," "That'll Show Him," "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" and "I'm Calm."

A concert version of Company will follow Forum, playing Feb. 20-24; Gordon Greenberg directs. The season will conclude with Stephen Schwartz's Godspell, April 17-May 4.

Tickets for Forum, priced $28-$58, are available by calling (641) 472-2787. For more information visit www.fairfieldacc.com.