Way Off Broadway to Present SPAMALOT

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre has become known for not only its productions of classic Broadway musicals but its part in bringing a number of area and regional premieres to the Frederick stage. In 2009, Way Off Broadway was one of the very first theatres in the country to receive the rights to produce The Wedding Singer, an 80's inspired musical comedy based on the Adam Sandler film. In recent seasons, the theatre, the Frederick -area's only year-round professional producing theatre, has produced several movies-turned-musicals. In fact, the 2013 Season was named "Hollywood Meets Broadway," all of the shows having been hits on the silver screen and Broadway stage.

With Way Off Broadway's production of Monty Python's Spamalot, opening Friday, July 22nd, the theatre is bringing another beloved movie to life on its stage. Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur's quest to find the Holy Grail, and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Throughout the show, Arthur, traveling with his servant Patsy, recruits severAl Knights to accompany him on his quest, including Sir Bedevere, Sir Robin, Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad. On their way, they meet the Lady of the Lake, Not Dead Fred, the Black Knight, and the Knights who say Ni.

Producing a musical that started as a movie comes with its own unique set of difficulties. This is especially true for a show such as Spamalot. Something of a cult classic, in addition to lines from the movie being constantly quoted, the characters have been so indelibly engrained in our entertainment culture, there is a certain expectation on the part of the theatre-goer. Graham Chapman's portrayal of King Arthur, John Cleese's Black Knight, Eric Idle's Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir Lancelot are so memorable that it is hard to imagine anyone else ever playing the roles.

When a movie is so popular and its characters are so defined by the actors who originated the roles, it's a daunting task to put a new take on it for the stage. 2010's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels saw Bill Kiska and Jordan B. Stocksdale stepping into the roles of Lawrence Jameson and Freddy Benson, respectively, made famous by Michael Caine and Steve Martin. In 2013, 9 to 5: The Musical took to the Way Off Broadway stage with Jessica Billones as Violet, Jaimie Lea Kiska as Doralee, and Whitney Warrenfeltz as Judy; roles first introduced to us by Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda. All iconic, all memorable, and all big shoes to fill for any actor.

Award-nominated actor Brian Lyons-Burke, who will be making his Way Off Broadway debut as King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot, not only follows Chapman in the part, but Tim Curry who originated the role on Broadway and London's West End.

When asked about following in the footsteps of legends and how much he draws on their original performances, he said, "It's always a challenge performing iconic roles, especially ones made famous both on the screen and on stage. King Arthur in Spamalot is my second role in a musical that was based on a popular movie, the first being Roger DeBris in The Producers. I have also had other roles in musicals that became movies, such as Higgins in My Fair Lady and Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof. With all of these parts, I know that many who come to the show will already have an image in their minds of what they expect to see. The challenge for me in these and other roles is to give the audience a performance that does not disappoint those expectations, while avoiding an imitation or a re-creation of what they have already seen. It is important to me to be honest in a role, to make it come from what is in me, not from what I have seen before. We owe it to our audience to give them a fresh experience, even when they know every line - and in the case of the Holy Grail and Spamalot, we are performing some of the most well-known comedy routines ever written! It's a bit daunting to tackle a role made famous by the likes of Graham Chapman and Tim Curry, but I try to remember that I'm not trying to be them; I am performing a role they also performed. And that is all the difference."

Jeremy Trammelle, who will also be appearing in Spamalot as Sir Bedevere, amongst other characters, starred as Leo Bloom in Mel Brooks' The Producers. It was a part originated in the 1967 film by Gene Wilder then on Broadway by Matthew Broderick.

His thoughts on the subject slightly differed from his cast mate's, saying that because of Broderick's perfect characterization of Leo Bloom, he "tried to emulate him" in many ways because of the success he had with the part.

It's a constant balancing act for performers and Monty Python's Spamalot will certainly not be the last movie-turned-musical to appear at Way Off Broadway. The theatre's producers have already teased that in 2017 two blockbuster movies that were turned into hit Broadway musicals will be a part of the season, neither of which have been seen in the area before.

Monty Python's Spamalot will make its Frederick-area premiere at The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, running July 22nd through September 17th with performances every Friday and Saturday evening and matinees on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday of each month.

The upcoming production is led by Lyons-Burke as King Arthur, alongside Adam Yastrzemsky as Patsy, both making their Way Off Broadway debuts. They will be joined by the Knights of the Round Table including Ariel Messeca as Sir Robin, Brett Stockman as Sir Lancelot, Jordan B. Stocksdale as Sir Galahad, and Jeremy Trammelle as Sir Bedevere. The show also features Joseph Waeyaert as the Historian and Tori Weaver as the Lady of the Lake.

The other characters Arthur and his knights meet on their journey are played by Jessica Billones, Sam Buchanan, Sarah Burton, Paul Cabell, Daniel Hafer, Alex Levenson, Matthew Lincoln-Bugg, Carol Niedringhus, and Mallory Rome.

Spamalot has a book and lyrics by Eric Idle with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. The show is based on the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail from the original screenplay by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Way Off Broadway's production will be directed by Bill Kiska, with music direction by Jordan B. Stocksdale and choreography by Dee Buchanan.

Doors open for dinner on Friday and Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. with the show beginning at 8:00 p.m. On Sundays, door open for lunch at 12:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 2:15 p.m. Tickets are $45 on Friday evening, $48 on Saturday evening, and $44 for Sunday matinees.

To purchase tickets, call the Box Office at (301) 662-6600. To learn more about Way Off Broadway or any of its productions, visit www.wayoffbroadway.com.

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