Robbins was still highly sought after as a show doctor. He took over the direction of two troubled productions during this period and helped turn them into successes. In 1962, he saved "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1962), a musical farce starring Zero Mostel, Jack Gilford, David Burns, and John Carradine. The production, with book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, and score by Stephen Sondheim, was not working. Sondheim wrote and Robbins staged an entirely new opening number, "Comedy Tonight," which explained to the audience what was to follow, and the show played successfully from then on. In 1964, he took on a floundering "Funny Girl" and devised a show that ran 1348 performances. The musical helped turn lead Barbra Streisand into a superstar.