Grand Slam for Spamalot Tour

There's something wonderful about indulging yourself in purely loony, daffy entertainment now and then to break up a stress-filled world.  This musical aims for the target and hits the mark.

Based on the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," "Spamalot" was the wild dream by writer and composer Eric Idle- one of the Pythons, the famed English comedy troupe, along with composer John Du Prez and director Mike Nichols.

Telling the story of Knight Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their quest for the Holy Grail, "Spamalot" features a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and a legless knight. The show involves all of the wacky movie characters from the Knights who say "Ni" to Tim the enchanter and the Lady of the Lake, flying cows and a giant wooden war rabbit. No, it's not a bad dream. In fact, Spamalot is a clever mix of slapstick with sophisticated British humor at its best, flirting with poor taste and bawdy language that delights the audience all the more.

The cast does an admirable job of upholding the insanity. Michael Siberry's King Arthur attempts to lead his band of dysfunctional knights as the seemingly straight and often exasperated leader of the land. His royal appointment as King is based on a strange woman, the Lady of the Lake, (Pia Glenn) who lives in a pond delivering swords that make kings. Glenn plays the swamp woman as every old-school diva from Whitney Houston to Beyonce in a most flamboyant fashion that steals the show; she is truly a musical in her own mind.

The knights, from Sir Lancelot, (Patrick Heusinger), Sir Galahad (Anthony Holds), and Sir Robin (Robert Petkoff) - and of course the coconut clacking Patsy (Jeff Dumas) - complement the seamless comedy like a well-oiled cuckoo clock.

Tim Hatley's colorful sets and costumes, as well as Gregory Meeh's cartoonish special effects, embellish this production that takes several twists and turns adding to the high energy, hilarity and madness.

Musical highlights are numerous, from the "I Am Not Dead Yet", sung by the soon-to-be corpse Not Dead Fred (Christopher Sutton) (who brilliantly multitasks the roles of the foppy Prince Herbert and one of the overripe French guards and dittyful /dutiful French minstrels) to the deliberately tasteless "You Won't Succeed on Broadway.. ( if you don't have any Jews)," wonderfully performed by Sir Robin (Robert Petkoff). "Knights of the Round Table" turns Camelot into a gaudy Casino pre-show. The Lady of the Lake delivers her soulful over-the top "The Song that Goes Like This" as well as the temper tantrum, "The Diva's Dilemma".  The most charming number, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," borrowed from the Pythons' 1979 movie Life of Brian, is warmly sung by Patsy, the dedicated and overlooked charge to King Arthur in his time of deep despair and dysfunction.

In a coconut nut shell, what Mel Brooks did for Producers Eric Idle and the Pythons' does for this irreverent, utterly goofy, sensationally silly, musical comedy.

Spamalot plays at the Academy of Music, Phila. PA from March 20-April 8^th

For information: www.kimmelcenter.org/braodway or call 215.731.3333

 

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