SPAMALOT REVIEWS!- Page 4
SPAMALOT REVIEWS!
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#75
Posted: 3/17/05 at 9:44pm
Kuchwara from the AP mostly raves:
AP Review
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#76
Posted: 3/17/05 at 9:50pm
Brantley:
"Do these disparate elements hang together in any truly compelling way? Not really. That "Spamalot" is the best new musical to open on Broadway this season is inarguable, but that's not saying much. The show is amusing, agreeable, forgettable - a better-than-usual embodiment of the musical for theatergoers who just want to be reminded now and then of a few of their favorite things."
I pretty much agree. A very qualified rave from Brantley -- should sell a lot of tickets (as if this show needed any help).
Clearly SPAMALOT is not a lock for Best Musical, though, with SPELLING BEE and PIAZZA opening in the next month (not to mention ALL SHOOK UP AND CHITTY). Should make for a fun race this year.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#77
Posted: 3/17/05 at 9:57pm
Eesh. Very mixed reviews for the most part. Very surprising. I hope so much that Spelling Bee wins the Tony.
What do we think the reaction of Mr. Barnes at the Post will be?
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#78
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:10pmI think these reviews are giving DRS & SPELLING BEE pleanty of toppling room come TONY time! They most certainly aren't raves, Brantleys was just as mixed as DRS (possibly a bit lighter on criticism) - but I have yet to see one musical on Broadway receive uniform raves. The only 2 off Bway shows to have done that will be on BWAY soon, SPELLING BEE & DOUBT! Oh TONY time will be so fun and one thing is for sure, the most competitive contest is YEARRRRS!
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#79
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:11pm
OK, the Beauty and the Beast comparison cracked me up (from Broadway.com):
"The audience seems to divide into two camps: A good number begin tittering at the mere suggestion of a favorite Python skit and laugh equally loudly at all of the punch lines, even though some are executed very well and others haphazardly. (The same thing happens with children at Beauty and the Beast.) "
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#80
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:29pmOkay, I have a silly question. Why exactly does high demand for Spamalot tickets mean that mine won't be mailed to me for 4 weeks? Can they just not print them fast enough or what?
Broadway Star Joined: 5/9/04
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#81
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:29pmI have not read one review that was a rave--AP calls the "breakout" performance of Sara Ramirez "strenuous" at times. Yeesh!
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#82
Posted: 3/17/05 at 10:58pmI would assume Ms. Raimerez's performance seems 'strenuous' because of the fact that she is holding back. Did they not cut her part back in Chicago due to the fact that she was inquestionably stealing the show from her more well-known male stars night after night? Her performance may seem strenuous because she's trying to restrain herself.
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#83
Posted: 3/17/05 at 11:04pmNo, I'm pretty sure they cut her songs because they were extraneous and slowing down the show.
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#84
Posted: 3/17/05 at 11:27pmI just saw Jeffrey Lyons' review on Channel 4. It was pretty much a mixed review. He said that he was not originally a Python fan and that there were one or two numbers that he liked but he was by no means blown away and thought that the show has been over hyped. He did, however, say that he thought that Raimerez should receive a Tony nomination for her role.
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#85
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:15am
Elyse Gardner in USA Today gives it Three out of Four Stars:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/reviews/2005-03-17-spamalot_x.htm
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#86
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:46am
The CBS 2 Review was beyond stupid, I cant believe I waited up for that. A review that closes with the following statement, is null, void, and insane in my book.
"As much as I loved it, if you aren't a fan of the movie, don't dish out your money. If you are, you'll love it"
Or something very similar to that effect - good lord!
Updated On: 3/18/05 at 12:46 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/25/04
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#87
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:53amLaCage, I actually agree with that statement.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/1/04
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#88
Posted: 3/18/05 at 12:54amIt might be stupid, but I happen to agree with it.
Joined: 12/31/69
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#89
Posted: 3/18/05 at 1:43am
i kinda felt like the new material rarely intertwined well with the old material--- all of it was hysterical, and id definitely go again, but there was a sharp difference in the there.
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#90
Posted: 3/18/05 at 1:48am
I just feel like there's a HUGE difference between shows that are lighthearted and funny, and a GOOD show. I think SPAMALOT, as misguided and "off" as it is, you can't deny that it's funny. While I enjoyed it, there's no way I would call it a good show. It's fine, but it takes a lot more than jokes for me to consider a show good.
On a different note, I just got home from the party and it was a BLAST. I saw some friends there I haven't seen in a while, so that was fun. They had the entire interior decorated like a castle, which was amusing. I left towards the end, and they were trying to get rid of all the Spam, so I ended up leaving with 2 cases of it. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, I don't even eat that garbage! I'll probably just leave them in the hallway....
Stand-by Joined: 2/19/05
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#91
Posted: 3/18/05 at 1:52am
I thought Brantley was much more positive about Spamalot than DRS. First of all he called it inarguably "the best new musical to open this season" and he also placed it among his picks for reccomended shows. Anyone who knows Monty Python will know that he makes it sound like they achieved exactly what they set out to do. As a Monty Python fan, I will be the first to say that cohesion in full-length features is not their strong suit. Their style is much more a connected string of long, hilarious set-pieces. That Brantley said it was "resplendently silly" speaks volumes about how successful this musical was at achieving its "artistic" goals. It was not made for the typical musical theater junkie, it was designed for people who want absurd, slightly intelligent silliness.
Updated On: 3/18/05 at 01:52 AM
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#92
Posted: 3/18/05 at 1:53am
"and they were trying to get rid of all the Spam, so I ended up leaving with 2 cases of it. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, I don't even eat that garbage! I'll probably just leave them in the hallway...."
Are there no homeless shelters or food pantries nearby that would be willing to take them? When you are starving, you aren't picky about what you eat.
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#93
Posted: 3/18/05 at 3:00am
Peter Marks in the Washington Post -- Very Positive:
The Washington Post
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#94
Posted: 3/18/05 at 8:50am
DAILY NEWS - Very Mixed (more not good than good)
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater/story/290882p-248991c.html
NY POST - RAVE (the first and only all out Love Fest that Ive seen)
http://nypost.com/entertainment/41216.htm
Well, I think weve covered the majority of them here. And I would say these reviews are mixed period! Not mixed to good, or mixed to bad, just right down the line mixed! I honestly expected better (just because the critics rarely agree w/me), but am justfuly happy with what the critics have said. ESPECIALLY the TALKIN BROADWAY & BROADWAY.COM reviews - couldnt agree w/those 2 more.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/25/04
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#95
Posted: 3/18/05 at 8:54amTalkin' Broadway's was an out and out pan... I didn't think Broadway.com's was, though.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/03
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#96
Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:13amAl, I think there are a couple of reasons that Sara Ramirez’s performance surprises us. First of all there are no women in the film to speak of so it is a surprise that one is featured so prominently. Secondly, everyone expects the big “names” to be great. We walk in expecting to see Azaria, Curry and Pierce give full out performances. But to the people who are not familiar with Ramirez’s work she is the true surprise of the evening. Sure, everyone pretty much knows the jokes going in, even some of the songs are familiar…we EXPECTED to see that. What we did not expect was this powerhouse of a talent (a woman in unfriendly Python territory) totally blow us away.
Leading Actor Joined: 9/27/03
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#97
Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:24amMy interest is more with ticket sales and jobs on a long term basis. I again predict that after all the shows open, after all the awards and reviews are forgotten, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will go on as the longest running show of this season. I truly wish that all shows could enjoy long runs but at today's prices, many ticketbuyers have to choose just one or two shows and Chitty seems to have the widest range of buyers. I think it will follow along the lines of Beauty & Beast which wasnt exactly a Tony favorite.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/25/04
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#98
Posted: 3/18/05 at 9:29amLou - No chance. While it remains to be seen what the reviewers think of Chitty, the reports from London aren't too encoraging.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/7/03
re: Newsday Spamalot Review Up!#99
Posted: 3/18/05 at 10:09amDare I ask how Brantley saying that the show is uncompelling, forgettable and that despite it being the best show opening this season, that's not saying much, is considered a rave?
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