SPAMALOT, the musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, returns to Broadway for the first time ever, following a record-breaking sold-out run at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Peter Marks of The Washington Post exclaims “It’s UNFAIR to make me laugh this much! SPAMALOT is a tightly packed clown car speeding to musical theater nirvana!”
Everything that makes a great knight in the theatre is here, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake.
Speaking of Act 2 showstoppers: There are a few—starting with the crowd-pleaser “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” the British music-hall ditty made famous in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. And perhaps most memorably, there’s “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway,” Sir Robin’s patter song explaining what every good Broadway musical needs: “There simply must be, Arthur, trust me/ Simply must be Jews.” It’s a massive production number incorporating a Fiddler on the Roof parody, a Streisand impersonator, and Michael Urie on a chair doing his best “Mein Herr,” and yes, it lands differently in November 2023. (There’s also, alas, a sound issue, which seems to be a St. James Theatre problem; the singers were getting drowned out during Into the Woods as well.) You can feel the audience asking themselves, Is it okay to laugh? Is the song offensive? For that matter, is it any more or less offensive than the disco-tastic number “His Name Is Lancelot,” which is basically one big gay stereotype wrapped in Lycra? No judgment here. But if you don’t chuckle over the lyric “There’s a very small percentile/ Who enjoys a dancing gentile,” I promise—I will judge you.
All the dancing, singing and questing unfolds on a clever, attractive set designed by Paul Tate dePoo III, whose projections – many seemingly inspired by Terry Gilliam’s instantly recognizable Python style of animation – play a crucial role in the production. Some of the effects are of a decidedly (and intentionally) DIY nature, like the catapulted (or, really, just tossed) cow or the bloodthirsty bunny, but all work terrifically within the show’s self-aware approach.
Rush Tickets:
Price: $39
Where: St. James Theatre box office (246 West 44th Street) box office at 10AM ET Monday through Saturday and 12PM ET on Sunday.
Limit: Two per customer.
Restrictions: Locations and number of tickets based on availability; seats may be partial view.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $44
Where: LuckySeat.com
When: For weekday performances, entries will be accepted until 9:30AM ET the day of the performance, with winners being selected beginning at 10AM ET and continuing through the day as needed.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Winners will have a limited window in which to purchase and claim their tickets, so those entering are encouraged to keep an eye on the drawing on the dates they have entered.
2005 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2006 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2006 | West End |
London Production West End |
2007 | Las Vegas |
Las Vegas Production Las Vegas |
2010 | US Tour |
National Tour [Phoenix Entertainment] US Tour |
2012 | West End |
West End |
West End |
West End Revival Production West End |
|
2015 | Los Angeles |
Hollywood Bowl Production Los Angeles |
2023 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Monty Python's Spamalot |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Monty Python's Spamalot |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
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