Venting Time about Spamalot

[stokesrocks]

Posted: 5/20/06 at 9:58pm

I'm sorry...I just have to vent and I'm sure a few people will understand on this board. I saw Spamalot today and the audience around me was so obnoxious! People laugh so loud! I know the show is funny and there are die hard fans there but the laughter is above the normal person's laugh. There was even a drunk woman near me who was totally annoying. Thank god she passed out during the second act. I felt like I was at a college party and for over 100 bucks a ticket, it was not fair for the people trying to enjoy the performance. I missed a few lines because of the loudness...I'll stop now, just had to vent!

[jv92]

Posted: 5/20/06 at 10:05pm

Well, I'll totally agree with you except for one thing, the show isn't particulary funny. It's rather childish and the audiences make it worse.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 5/20/06 at 10:12pm

Thanks JV, I agree. I thought the show as stupid and childish. There very few funny parts. It is almost like you are expected to think it is funny. I did not much care for it. It was not worth the money I paid.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/20/06 at 10:21pm

I've seen SPAMALOT three times now - one time because it was new, and the second two times because of friends. I liked it more than the first time - the first time was an utter disappointment. Best musical? No. Well-made, mindless, silly night of enjoyable theatre? Yeah sure, why not.

I agree. Laugh-eager and laugh-happy audiences can ruin ANYTHING. It's one of my biggest pet peeves.

[Copeman63]

Posted: 5/20/06 at 10:35pm

Love the OBC recording, but I definately won't be spending another $100 to see it again, but would do standing room.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 5/20/06 at 11:19pm

I too was very disappointed when I saw it with the original cast. It's basically the movie onstage, except not as funny and with songs added--BAD songs ("The Song That Goes Like This" being the notable exception). I was horrified when it won the Tony.

[being.jeremiah]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 12:56am

I still think The Light in the Piazza should have won.

Whew.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 2:59am

I bought the cd in the middle of July, I still haven't listened to it in its entirety. It's painful to my ears.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 3:03am

Was it worth it to pay $20 to wind up sitting in $110 seats? Absolutely. Would I ever want to attempt a second go at it? Absolutely not, I'm full. Enjoyable, but worth paying $20 to see, definitely not for me

[tophertilson]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 6:52am

It's all psychological justification. I think when an audience pays that much money for tickets and has to buy them that far ahead of time, they want to witness not just a show but an "event." They gird themselves for hilarity. And they force themselves to laugh that hard. They're congratulating themselves for getting tickets when the poor schmucks on the sidewalk have none.

I noticed the same phenomenon when I saw THE PRODUCERS about three weeks into the run. OK, it was funny, but it wasn't nearly as knee-slapping hilarious as the audience made it out to be. They had worked themsevles into a frenzy of anticipation mixed with determination. It's eerie, ain't it?

TT

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 8:05am

I agree: THE PRODUCERS attracted the same kinds of reactions from the audience when it first opened.

I enjoyed SPAMALOT but haven't bought the OBC recording. I thought the music sounded too much like radio jingles. The show itself was good, silly fun. (Please remember, I liked the TV show SLEDGE HAMMER, too!)

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 8:16am

Well if you go in expecting a classic piece of theater, you are just plain crazy. Let's not forget, this is Monty Python. They put it right above the title and have made no bones about what it is, silly Python humor. I mean, there is a giant rabbit with bloody fangs on the building, what do you really expect? If you dont like that kind of thing than it is up to you not to buy the tickets, but going in thinking it is going to be anything else is really the person's fault, not the show.

Personally, I though the show delivered everything I expected and was a very enjoyable night at the theater.

Updated On: 5/21/06 at 08:16 AM

[James2]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 8:34am

I wish there was not as much Spamalot-bashing as there has been. For one thing, why would someone go in expecting "great theatre"? It's Monty Python and Mike Nichols. There's your first clue.

I, for one, found the old material and the new material funny. Very funny the second time I saw it, which was with Simon Russell Beale as Arthur. I did not see Tim Curry the first time, but I highly doubt he was better than Beale was. Also, Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, and especially Michael McGrath were all wonderful performers and delivered their lines fabulously. Unfortunately, Lauren Kennedy was not as funny as Sara Ramiriz was. She definetely deserved that Tony (Before anyone gives me death threats, I say that having seen Kelli O'Hara in Piazza and Celia Keenan-Bolger in Spelling Bee. In fact, I think Keenan-Bolger could have won it if Ramiriz did not).

Speaking of McGrath, he says one of my favorite lines in the whole show:

Patsy: Actually, sir, I'm Jewish.
Arthur: Well, why didn't you tell me, Patsy?
Patsy: Well, it's not something one says to a heavily armed Christian!

The way he sayed it made me laugh both times I saw it.

Basically, what I am trying to say is that I think people should lighten up about Spamalot, and vent their criticisms to show we know that pretty much everybody does not like, like Lestat or Hot Feet.