“If life seems jolly rotten, there’s something you’ve forgotten, and that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing.”
The North American tour of “Spamalot”, the award-winning comedy musical “lovingly ripped off” from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” is currently in Atlanta. The show, which opened on July 21 and is presented by Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta, is a crude, fast-paced, fourth-wall-breaking frenzy that will please both Monty Python fans and newbies alike.
Like its source material, “Spamalot” follows King Arthur and his knights of the round table as they go on a quest to find the Holy Grail. A lot of the stage show will be familiar to fans of the film, including the migrating coconut, the slow-to-admit-defeat Black Knight, and the Rabbit of Caerbannog.
However, “Spamalot” isn’t a one-to-one recreation of the film, and there’s new material for both Monty Python virgins and veterans to enjoy. In fact, the second half (Act Moo) goes completely off the rails as Arthur and Sir Robin search for Jews so they can put on a Broadway show, Sir Lancelot attempts to rescue a damsel and instead comes out as gay, and the Lady of the Lake laments her lack of stage time.
“Spamalot” is hilarious, especially if you’re someone who appreciates physical comedy and penis jokes. Due to my knowledge of Monty Python, this wasn’t surprising (the book and lyrics were written by Eric Idle, one of the original Monty Python members).
What was surprising, though, was the incorporation of pop culture references. These references – Cynthia Erivo’s iconic “Defying Gravity” riff, the viral “FRANCE!” from Miss Universe, Sasha Velour’s rose petal reveal during the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season finale – give the audience the pleasurable satisfaction of an inside joke, making them feel like part of the troupe. (If you really want to feel like part of the troupe, sit up front… you might just end up on stage).
Chock full of gay jokes, sexual innuendo, and politically incorrect portrayals of several ethnic groups, “Spamalot” is not for everyone. But for all its crudeness, it’s perfectly refined. The show is impeccably timed and choreographed, beautifully produced, and filled to the brim with ridiculous vocal talent.
Leads Major Attaway (King Arthur) and Amanda Robles (Lady of the Lake) are shining stars, boasting both comedic chops and operatic vocal range, but the unexpected star was Chris Collins-Pisano, who plays Sir Lancelot, the Knight of Ni, Tim the Enchanter, and, my personal favorite, the French Taunter. Collins-Pisano is so transformative, embodying each character in such wildly different and equally hilarious ways, that I didn’t even realize they were all the same actor until curtain call.
“Spamalot” is gross, absurd, immature, and utterly delightful. There are only a couple opportunities left to see the show at the Fox Theatre before it closes on July 26. Tickets can be purchased on the Fox Theatre’s website.
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