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"Spamalot' at Academy of Music
Steve Cohen
But if you're not a Python fanatic...
STEVE COHEN
The first song in Spamalot is sung in faux Finnish. Dirndl-skirted folk dancers wave the blue-and-white flag as they sing a parody of Edvard Grieg (of course, he was Norwegian) because they mistakenly think the play is set in Finland rather than England. Some in the audience laugh at this while others stare blankly.
To many observers, the whole play could be performed in a foreign language. Without grounding in Monty Python humor, it isn’t funny. For those who love the work of Eric Idle and John Cleese, however, the non sequiturs are hilarious. The mockery of British legends is alternately sharp and droll.
Gradually, this musical wins over the skeptics. Author Idle throws so many gags at us as he spoofs Broadway staples such as Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler On the Roof and The Lion King that many of the barbs eventually hit their mark. There are gay jokes and Jewish jokes; a swordsman has his arms and legs lopped off and a lady is plucked from the audience and brought up on stage— you have to admire the sheer persistence of it all.
The costumes and scenery are elaborate and the dancing is excellent. Michael Siberry as King Arthur leads the cast with a toothy grin that lets us know that his character doesn’t take any of this seriously. As Mel Brooks with The Producers, Idle has written melodic and catchy music and lyrics. The most noteworthy are a send-up of Andrew Lloyd Weber, "A Song That Goes Like This," and the bouncy "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life" (lifted from Monty Python’s Life of Brian).
STEVE COHEN
The first song in Spamalot is sung in faux Finnish. Dirndl-skirted folk dancers wave the blue-and-white flag as they sing a parody of Edvard Grieg (of course, he was Norwegian) because they mistakenly think the play is set in Finland rather than England. Some in the audience laugh at this while others stare blankly.
To many observers, the whole play could be performed in a foreign language. Without grounding in Monty Python humor, it isn’t funny. For those who love the work of Eric Idle and John Cleese, however, the non sequiturs are hilarious. The mockery of British legends is alternately sharp and droll.
Gradually, this musical wins over the skeptics. Author Idle throws so many gags at us as he spoofs Broadway staples such as Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler On the Roof and The Lion King that many of the barbs eventually hit their mark. There are gay jokes and Jewish jokes; a swordsman has his arms and legs lopped off and a lady is plucked from the audience and brought up on stage— you have to admire the sheer persistence of it all.
The costumes and scenery are elaborate and the dancing is excellent. Michael Siberry as King Arthur leads the cast with a toothy grin that lets us know that his character doesn’t take any of this seriously. As Mel Brooks with The Producers, Idle has written melodic and catchy music and lyrics. The most noteworthy are a send-up of Andrew Lloyd Weber, "A Song That Goes Like This," and the bouncy "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life" (lifted from Monty Python’s Life of Brian).
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