"Spamalot" Tour Review 1/13/06

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 2:39pm

I was lucky enough to catch the evening performance of "Spamalot" last night at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts here in Ft Lauderdale. I am not going to go too in depth, but needless to say I really enjoyed it.

I saw the show in New York while I was there this summer with a cast featuring Harry Groener and Lauren Kennedy. While I appreciated the humor, I felt (for the most part) that it was an inane romp that just wasn't all that great. Last night, however, I felt the complete opposite. The tour cast was able to present the show in a whole new light, and I found it hysterical and genius this time around.

I won't go into specifics about each individual cast member, but everyone was really at the top of their game. Most people both looked and sounded exactly like their OBC counterparts, and had the audience (including myself) rolling in the aisles.

I'd like to give special mention to Pia Glenn's performance as The Lady of the Lake. When I saw Lauren Kennedy in July, I just couldn't get how someone like Sara Ramirez could be regarded as such a dynamo in such a boring role. Kennedy, while posessing an absolutely stellar voice, was simply miscast. She was working incredibly hard to make it work, but dropped almost every laugh and was not funny in the least. While she had the beauty and the presence the part requires, she just couldn't pull off the necessary show stopping attitude.

Glenn, however, was a completely different story. From the moment she appeared on stage, I was completely captivated by her performance. She had a different type of voice than you might think would be used for the role (more of a power soprano than a power belt,) but she milked it for every laugh she could and then some.

Her hysterical diva mannerisms (including booty shaking and the resident head twirls and finger snaps) were absolutely hysterical, and her Cher impersonation during the "Spamalot" number was dead on. She brought the house down with "Diva's Lament," and just really showed why, in the right hands, this role can steal the show.

In closing, "Spamalot" provided a night of hysterical and first rate theater. If you are interested in seeing a comedic tour de force with a first rate group of performers, I'd deffinetly reccomend checking out this national tour!

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 1/14/07 at 3:25pm

I was there last night too! I thought it was great fun. I agree with everything you said! My dad and I enjoyed ourselves a lot. But I heard all the old people around me saying "I don't get it." Figures...