VIDEO: On This Day, March 17- SPAMALOT Begins the Quest of Broadway Previews

On this day in 2005, Monty Python's SPAMALOT, the smash hit musical lovingly ripped-off from the internationally famous comedy team's most popular motion picture, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, began previews at the Shubert Theater on Broadway.

Monty Python's SPAMALOT opened on March 17, 2005 to rave reviews and went on to win the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Musical.

The show featured a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, direction by Mike Nichols, choreography by Casey Nicholaw and is based on the screenplay of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Monty Python creators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with an entirely new score with two songs from the 1975 film and the Python classic "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life" from 1979's The Life of Brian.

When Monty Python's SPAMALOT closed on Broadway it had grossed over $175,000,000 and was seen by more than 2 million people. The musical recouped its entire investment in under six months, and the production holds the record for weekly gross sales in any Shubert theater ($1,407,586 for the week ending January 1, 2006).

Remember all the medieval fun of Spamalot with the original cast, including David Hyde Pierce, Sara Ramirez, Tim Curry. and Hank Aazaria performing "Find Your Grail" on the 2005 Tony Awards.