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.
Letting the clowns run the flying circus, at least part-time, is integral to the history of Python’s success. (Idle told The Times that the material survives because “it was written by its actors and acted by its writers.”) It is also a smart move for a show that could otherwise feel calcified; a production I saw at the Stratford Festival over the summer seemed more like an animatronic museum exhibit, making me doubt it was really revivable. And even this mostly excellent production betrays a faint odor of mothballs, especially in the projection-heavy scenic design of Paul Tate dePoo III, so dependent on the feel of Terry Gilliam’s original animations. The key to the comedy is not after all replication but individuation. The Pythons were each their own kind of oddball, and the bits are only funny with fresh bite.
The most iconic bits — fisch schlapping, coconuts as horseshoes — are timeless, though your laughter will simply be proportional to how much you enjoy Monty Python's silly sketch-comedy style in general. My personal favorites are the 'so bad they're good' puns, like when Arthur (James Monroe Iglehart) describes the Holy Grail as a 'symbol,' cueing the cymbalist. The other strength of Spamalot is that it gives every one of its principal cast members a chance to shine. And shine they do. Ethan Slater proves himself one of the best physical comedians on Broadway right now in a variety of bit parts, making each one feel larger than life. Michael Urie makes a meal of the showstopping 'You Won't Succeed on Broadway' as Sir Robin, and Christopher Fitzgerald does the same with 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' as Patsy, though his best moment is his silent comedic acting in the background of Arthur's 'I'm All Alone.'
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 |
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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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