The King Arthur legend has long needed humorous musical numbers.
Luckily for all of us, Monty Python member Eric Idle was thinking the same thing.
Partly based on the Arthurian legend and mostly on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot follows the endeavors of King Arthur and his knights as they search for the Holy Grail. The knights go on to be offensive in every possible way.
Fortunately, I was laughing too hard to care.
The musical has no great moral or especially profound theme, which is what makes it so enjoyable (don’t worry about your high school English teacher, they will never know). Spamalot is just comedy. Yes, it is crude in places (poop jokes and the such), and yes, it kind of rips off the movie, but that’s what makes it awesome.
While I certainly wish my tastes were more high-brow, the crude jokes made me laugh just as hard as the intelligent ones. And if you’re a Monty Python fan (like I am), you want to see some of what you loved in the first place. The Knights Who Say Ni show up and, of course, the Black Knight has to make an appearance.
Besides a few minor dancing mistakes I barely noticed, the actors could actually dance, sing, act and be funny all at the same time. Arthur Rowan, who (conveniently) plays King Arthur, does so with a relish that is quite endearing and totally believable. The Lady of the Lake is played by Brittany Woodrow brilliantly. My favorite character, the cowardly Sir Robin, is in the capable hands of Kasidy Devlin.
The music and lyrics are well written. The song “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s Life of Brian is included, much to the enjoyment of the hardcore fans in the audience.
I think the best part of the whole experience is the audience. Monty Python fans of all ages were there and it was packed. I could hear appreciative murmurs right before a beloved joke came up. I myself was squealing like a five-year-old girl looking at a pony.
Sorry if I temporarily deafened anyone.
