“Spamalot” Will Tickle Your Funny Bone and Tap Dance Into...
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Monty Python takes stage at The Fabulous Fox
“Spamalot” Will Tickle Your Funny Bone and
Tap Dance Into Your Heart at the Fabulous Fox
by Pat Lindsey
Monty Python’s British humor is full of wackiness and slapstick fun. You either get it or you don’t. “Spamalot” is a sparkling example of this brand of silliness and it seemed like almost everyone in the audience at the Fabulous Fox found all the goofiness uproariously hilarious. At the very least, this show is an opportunity to put all your cares aside, sit back and relax, and go along for the crazy ride.
I usually shy away from all things goofy, but I decided to give this show a chance to change my mind. By intermission, I was looking forward to Act II and its opening number, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” The more I watched, the more I laughed. By the end of the show, I was joining in a sing-along of the reprise of that one and only song I knew.
The storyline travels the globe and lands back in Britain in 972 A.D. King Arthur, spectacularly played by Major Attaway, has been searching for the right knights to sit at his Round Table. But that’s not the only thing the king has to do. He has been commanded to find the Holy Grail, the chalice from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper. Later in the show, the king must find some shrubbery. And in the end, King Arthur is producing a Broadway show. Does any of that make sense? No, but that’s what makes “Spamalot” so wacky.
“Spamalot” made its Broadway debut in 2005, the same year it won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The plot is based on the 1975 film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” Eric Idle wrote the book and lyrics and teamed up with John Du Prez to write the music. Their score is now a vigorous workout for every orchestra that performs it.
The entire cast is energetic and versatile. They act, sing, dance, and excel in comedy. Several of the actors play multiple roles. One of the standouts is Amanda Robles, who plays the Lady of the Lake. Her singing strives for volume rather than loveliness, but it’s obvious that she has a beautiful voice with great range.
The costumes are often outlandish, colorful, and glimmering. All the vibrant colors add to the fun. The primary set is a huge castle and drawbridge. It is later replaced with “the most expensive forest.” Projections of other scenery are used throughout. Props, such as a huge wooden Trojan rabbit, are laughable.
For me, the choreography is the most wonderful element of the show. The tap dancing is delightful. I think I also detected a few steps of the Electric Slide in Act I. With this show you never know what you’re going to see or when you’re going to see it. It’s disjointed, to say the least. There’s always room for the actors to add some local color and personalize the dialogue. There are surprises galore, especially near the end, but I won’t spoil them for you.
If If you’re looking for two hours of carefree entertainment, Monty Python’s “Spamalot is the show for you. It will be playing at the Fabulous Fox now through May 17. Tickets are available through Metrotix by calling 314-534-1111 or visit the Fox box office. For more information, go tofabulousfox.com.
