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SPAMALOT!

Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Eric Idle of Monty Python wrote the musical's book and lyrics, and he collaborated with John Du Prez on the music. It was directed by Mike Nichols.

The original production stars Tim Curry as King Arthur, David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin, and Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot. The show also features Christopher Sieber as Sir Galahad, Michael McGrath as King Arthur's sidekick Patsy, and Sara Ramirez as the Lady of the Lake, in a role significantly expanded for the show. John Cleese plays the voice of God in a a recorded role; he's the only actor from the film to also appear in the production. Curry, Pierce, Azaria, Sieber, and McGrath also play various smaller roles, such as the Black Knight and the Knight of Ni.

Previews of the show began in Chicago's Shubert Theatre on December 21, 2004; the show officially opened there on January 9, 2005. It previewed on Broadway, also at the Shubert Theatre, beginning February 14, 2005, and officially opened on March 17, 2005. A musical version of the film's witch-hunting scene was eliminated when it moved to Broadway.

Financial and critical success

The original production has been both a financial and critical success. Variety reported advanced tickets sales of $18 million, with ticket prices ranging from $36 to $101. Monty Python fans appreciate its many references to the film and other material in the Python canon, including a line from The Lumberjack Song, a nod to the "Ministry of Silly Walks" routine, and a singalong of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Monty Python's Life of Brian. Broadway musical fans appreciate its visual and auditory references to other musicals and musical theatre in general, such as "The Song that Goes Like This" (a spoof of Andrew Lloyd Webber), the knights doing a dance reminiscent of Fiddler on the Roof, and Azaria's channeling of Peter Allen in "His Name Is Lancelot."

This success is also reflected in the show's fourteen Tony Award nominations, more than any other show for the 2004-2005 season:

• Best Musical
• Best Book of a Musical (Eric Idle)
• Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (John Du Prez and Eric Idle (Music); Eric Idle (Lyrics))
• Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Hank Azaria)
• Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Tim Curry)
• Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Michael McGrath)
• Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Christopher Sieber)
• Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Sara Ramirez)
• Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Tim Hatley)
• Best Costume Design of a Musical (Tim Hatley)
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Hugh Vanstone)
• Best Direction of a Musical (Mike Nichols)
• Best Choreography (Casey Nicholaw, in his Broadway debut)
• Best Orchestrations (Larry Hochman)

Songs

Act I

• Fisch Schlapping Song
• Monk Chant
• He's Not Dead Yet
• Come With Me
• Laker Girls Cheer
• The Song That Goes Like This
• He Is Not Dead Yet
• All For One
• Knights of the Round Table
• Song That Goes Like This (Reprise)
• Find Your Grail
• Run Away!

Act III. No...Act II

• Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
• You Won't Succeed On Broadway
• Diva's Lament (Whatever Happened To My Part?)
• Where Are You?
• His Name Is Lancelot
• I'm All Alone
• Twice In Every Show
• Act II Finale
• Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (Sing Along Reprise

Origin of the title

Idle explained the title in a February 2004 press release about the musical:

I like the title SPAMALOT a lot. We tested it with audiences on my recent US tour and they liked it as much as I did, which is gratifying. After all, they are the ones who will be paying Broadway prices to see the show. It comes from a line in the movie which goes: ‘I eat jam, and ham and Spam a lot.’

External links

• Official site (http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/)
• Monty Python's Spamalot (http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?id=384262) at the Internet Broadway Database
• Listing (http://www.playbill.com/events/event_detail/5263.html) and announcement of Tony nominations (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92856.html) from Playbill
• February 2004 Press release about its Chicaco premiere (http://www.dailyllama.com/news/2004/llama232.html), from a Monty Python fan's website
• A Quest Beyond The Grail (http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9C00E5DC103CF93BA25750C0A9639C8B63), a review of Spamalot from the New York Times (registration required)

You could simply buy the album via iTunes and be a happy camper. I did. 0&0 - Sparky