Review: MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT Leaves Audiences Roaring at Warsaw Federal Incline Theater

Cincinnati Landmark Productions closes out their 2017-2018 District Series at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater with the ever so hilarious Monty Python's Spamalot! The production, directed by Matthew Wilson, runs now through April 8, 2018. Eric Idle adapted Spamalot from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The musical parodies the tale of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table with loads of slapstick comedy and musical theatre references galore!

Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, Spamalot tells the story of King Arthur and how he assembles his knights, as well as their quest for the Holy Grail. Along the way, the audience is introduced to the Lady of the Lake, a seemingly magical diva who helps the troupe in a variety of ways. There are also many fun dance numbers choreographed by Kate Stark that showcase the extremely versatile ensemble.

Leading the show as King Arthur is a jack of all trades, Rodger Pille. Not only does Pille star in the production at night, but he also manages Communication and Development for CLP by day. He has excellent comedic timing as King Arthur and plays splendidly off of his co-star, Aaron Whitehead who plays the King's sidekick, Patsy.

The audience cracked up every time Whitehead used his coconuts to mimic the sound of horse hooves. This is only one of the many hysterical bits he gets to perform through the duration of the show. One of my favorite moments of the night was when Pille and Whitehead sang "I'm All Alone". At this point in the show, Arthur is feeling dejected over the fact that he cannot seem to produce a Broadway musical as he has been charged to do. He then laments that he is all alone in this journey, even though Patsy has been with him the entire time, and is even with him on the stage as he is singing this.

Since they are trying to put on a Broadway musical, you can most definitely expect many references to classic musicals and composers. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may see nods to shows from next year's Broadway in Cincinnati series! The show also pokes fun at typical musical theatre tropes with songs like "The Song that Goes Like This" that mocks broadway love ballads.

Spamalot also makes use of theatrical stereotypes, such as the Broadway Diva personified by the Lady of the Lake. Allison Bredestege shines in this role as she gets to show off her beautiful vocal range when she sings some of the most well-known songs from the show. Her big act II ballad, "Whatever Happened to My Part" left me stunned.

As a whole, the cast is teeming with so much fun and contagious energy that it is impossible not to have a good time. If you are looking for a silly, farcical musical with an outstandingly talented cast, look no further than CLP's Monty Python's Spamalot at The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater running now through April 8! You may even get lucky and find the grail along the way!

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