Spamalot 7/6/05 mat. Review

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:00pm

Warning: This review was written not only by someone who loves all things Broadway, but also someone who has loved all things Python since she was 12 and has been waiting for this musical to happen for years. I was not familiar with the cast recording beforehand, preferring to be surprised and hear the songs for the first time in the theatre.
I am also not the best at writing reviews. There are several blatant spoilers and it is quite long.

Before the show even started I knew I was in for a fantastic experience. The theme from Monty Python’s Flying Circus was playing as I ascended the stairs to my amazing second row balcony seat. When I opened my program I saw that the fake Scandinavian subtitles before the film were substituted by Faaarkrekkion’s new Moosical: Dik Od Triaanenen Fol (Finns Ain’t What They Used To Be), an entire alternate playbill written by Michael Palin. And as a final pre-show special, they had to shoot the trumpet player repeatedly to shut up before they began the overture.

Tim Curry did a great job of playing King Arthur. Unlike almost all of the other roles, Arthur leaves room for interpretation rather than impersonation, and Mr. Curry made the part his own.

Michael McGrath was terrific as Patsy. Patsy is no longer just “the guy with the coconuts” but is now the 3 (or 2) dimensional sidekick to King Arthur. The role has been greatly expanded from Terry Gilliam’s original and now includes singing the showstopper “Always Look on The Bright Side of Life” which he performed gracefully in the style of Gene Kelly.

I’ll admit I was extremely upset when I found out that Hank Azaia was not going to be in the show when I saw it. Given arguably the most difficult job by playing the many of the most famous characters in the film, this role calls almost entirely for impersonation versus interpretation (along with the inevitable comparison to John Cleese). Alan Tudyck did not disappoint. His French Taunter impression was DEAD ON, right down to the lip smacking and he didn’t miss a beat. His Lancelot was ruthlessly homicidal and somehow equally adorable. The one thing that bothered me about the role was that although he is featured in many numbers, he never really gets his own showstopper. Nonetheless, congratulations to Mr. Tudyck. Filling the shoes of both Azaia and Cleese is no easy feat, but he did a great job.

Chris Sieber and I have an interesting history. For whatever reason, every time I’ve gone to see a show he’s been in, he has been out. But thankfully that record has been broken, and I finally got to see him. Like Curry did with Arthur, Mr. Sieber made Galahad his own character, complete with a Kristin Chenoweth hair toss and an uncanny Colm Wilkinson impersonation. His Black Knight was dead on as was his performance as Herbert’s father, except for one part, which I will get to later…

Steve Rosen also did a great job but I’m genuinely surprised at how small the part of Sir Bedevere has become. He is practically the second lead in the movie version, and it seems in this adaptation, his role of Arthur’s right hand man was spilt between Patsy and Sir Robin. Mr. Rosen was terrific as Dennis’s Mum and did as much as he could with Concord, but he is really given the least to do out of the principals.

Sara Ramirez, what’s left to say? She has an amazing voice that could go from Sarah Brightman to Jennifer Holliday and everything in between and her performance was hysterical.

Christian Borle was fantastic. His eBay commercial has always been my favourite of the batch, but he really nailed all of his parts. Not Dead Fred was a riot, Prince Herbert was hysterical (“And another hundred people just contracted the plague!”) and his Historian was meet with entrance applause at the beginning of Act 2, to which he looked genuinely shocked. He is truly a star in the making and, dare I say it, I believe his performance should have been nominated for a Tony.

But the person who surprised me the most out of the cast was David Hyde Pierce. I was completely blown away with “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway”. I’ve previously only known him as “Niles from Frasier”, but his performance has permanently changed my perception of him. He was amazing and I’ll just state that he should have been nominated for the Tony.

I was pleasantly surprised how many Python references were jammed into the show. Besides “Always Look on The Bright Side of Life” from Life of Brian, there were several homages to Flying Circus. During the opening swallow/coconut scene, one of the guards mentioned the swallow’s “beautiful plumage” to which the other guard replied “the plumage don’t factor into it” which is from the infamous Dead Parrot skit. During the “Not Yet Dead Reprise” Lancelot mentions becoming a knight while wearing “suspenders and a bra” which is from the equally infamous Lumberjack skit. (Both of these are also in the movie And Now For Something Completely Different.)
But one homage not many may catch occurs during “The Fisch Schlapping Song”, which is a direct rip-off from a Fling Circus skit with two Pythons on a bridge, the first one hitting the second one with two little fish, and the second one hitting the first one with one massive fish, knocking him into the water below.

There were plenty of Broadway references too. Andrew Lloyd Webber was obvious during “The Song That Goes Like This” and even mentioned directly by the Knights Who Say Ni. Les Miz was there as well, with Eponine with the French and Sir Galahad’s Colm Wilkinson impersonation during “The Song That Goes Like This”. Don Quixote replaced baby William Palin as Sir Not-Appearing. The Lady of the Lake was a Dreamgirl both with the gasp before her last note in “Diva’s Lament” and the two dresses in one effect. And of course, if the show ends in a wedding, what else could they be spoofing but Guys and Dolls?

The biggest differences from the film were the absence of the Witch Burning scene and the scene with Castle Anthrax, although the chorus girls were dressed up like Zoot during “Find Your Grail”. I was glad that that they did keep some aspects of the film’s animation, such as the grail bouncing around in the clouds, the dumb show on the Mighty Portcullis during intermission, and even, to an extent, the blowing of the trumpets from the butts of the French.

But the one curse of doing a movie adaptation of such a cult classic is that you can’t afford to mess up. Someone will notice and this is the later I was referring to previously:
Somehow, in the Swamp Castle scene with Prince Herbert and his Father, Mr. Sieber missed his monologue on how swamp castle was built. Whether he accidentally skipped it or Mr. Borle messed up his cue I can’t say, but it happened.

But this was the one and only flaw I witnessed. I loved the show. I had a fantastic time, I loved the performances, and it was an absolute joy to see one of my all time favourite movies on a Broadway stage.

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:05pm

WONDERFUL review!!!
I completely forgot the "Another 100 people just contracted the plague" part!! I loved that!

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:14pm

Thank you!

I would also like to take this time to mention the terrific security at the stagedoor. The barricades were set up well before the show ended, the bodyguards were firm but polite (telling people the stars would only sign Spamalot stuff but letting younger children stand near the front) and even said that people could come back for the night show if they did not get an actor's autograph.
So thank you Spamalot security and keep up the great work!

[CJR]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:17pm

I <3 the boys at the Shubert

What was the seat? I need to know.... PM me if you want

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:19pm

THE seat?

C101

The person who won was a lovely Hispanic woman named Flor

[CJR]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:20pm

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO bastards! It was C101 LAST week. I have B101 for tomorrow's matinee. I might have to smack someone lol

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:20pm

GREAT REVIEW! I'm so torn because I'm not into the movie and that type of humor, though I am interested in the cd..... any advice?

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:23pm

Well, it is definately a Monty Python Musical
But the Broadway person I am enjoyed the many well executed spoofs and homages and throughly enjoyed the actors' performances
Sooooooo, I'd say go for it!

[worrell4077]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:24pm

It's weird becuase when I went in February the orchestra was playing Stars and Stripes forever, not the Liberty Bell March or I could be wrong. Also, afterwards Hank Azaria did sign something that wasn't SpamAlot realted, he signed my Simpsons dvd and game covers.

I loved this show as well. I have never laughed so hard in my life and I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it and weren't one of those people who hates it.
________________________________________________________________
"Life. Sometimes you wake up in the middle of it."
-HUFF

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:27pm

i was at this show too and really enjoyed it. That was such an awesome review I couldn't write anything that could possible compare. But David Hyde Pierce is one of the sweetest men every, coming out and taking time with each person. So was Micheal McGrath and Chris Seiber and Christian Borle. I had a great time and I hope to see the show again.

[wendy72]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:01pm

I'm seeing it in January (yes, i know), and I hope some of the present cast, esp. DPH and Sara are still in..I thought "Find Your Grail" was great on the Tonys. I really don't remember all the lines from the Python movies, but the person with whom I'm seeing the show does and they will have a great time (sounds like).

[downbeat]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 5:22pm

Liberty Bell March? Did I miss something when I saw it last May?

[Mamie]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 6:05pm

Terrific review! I couldn't agree more about David Hyde Pierce. Why in the world that man didn't get a nomination is beyond me. His and Michael McGrath's performances stayed with me longer than anyone elses. I won't be able to see the show again until 10/16 and I'm hoping and praying they'll all be there!

[joeybiltmore1]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:12pm

With all due respect to the incredible Dan Fogler, I think that if David Hyde Pierce had been eligible in the FEATURED Actor category as opposed to LEADING Actor he would not only have been nominated, he would have WON.
I think his role was viewed as too small to nominate for leading actor. Just an opinion.
Great review! I'm seeing the show for my third time soon!

[Therese]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:53pm

Thanks for sharing the great review! I had to read this bit twice before I comprehended it but - Are you saying Christian Borle is the guy on the ebay commercial who sings the song to the tune of "That's Amore"?!?! I did not know that!

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 7/10/05 at 3:20pm

Yes, that is indeed Mr.Borle