Rik is hit with Spamalot
On January 10th, the DECC Auditorium was hit with Spam. Lots of it, in the form of Monty Pythons SPAMALOT. The people attending knew what they were getting. From the opening John Phillips Sousa marching music, to the very end gag for Aerial Weibe (spelling unsure), the audience got it. The familiar music that’s their TV theme, to fish slapping, to arrogant Frenchmen and a Grail Quest, it was one big gag. And produced just fine for us fans of the Monty Python Flying Circus.
My wife and I had enjoyed the London performance two years ago, and the people sitting next to me compared it favorably to the Broadway version that won a Tony Award in 2005. I had to bring to an end making comparisons to the London West End shows after awhile. Just sit back and let the jabs and naughty puns flow over you and laugh ‘til you cry. Even my wife, who admits not to liking Python shtick, loved both versions equally.
If you are reading this, you probably know the TV show that started on BBC in the early 70’s. The young men that formed the Monty Python’s, met in Oxford Colleges doing standup comedy and local college theatre. Taking different paths to television, they formed up to make legendary foot stomping fun.
The London West End is England’s version of Broadway in New York City. Only the theatres are older. Eric Idle was one of the Pythons until they disbanded and followed their individual paths. All the guys were extremely creative and wrote skits and bits, to combine them into TV and movie history. I was told in London that all the skits that appear in the Spamalot play came from the pen of Eric Idle. This would explain why some of the group’s legendary gags didn’t appear in this play. Idle stayed with his own writing while leaving the Cleese, Jones and Palin stuff to another time. I hope it happens soon.
Fish slapping in Finland, coconuts carried by birds, killer rabbits, Lady of the Lake and Arthur, Sir Robin who Runs Away and wets himself, the Black Knight who loses his limbs, Jewish and gay jokes and attacks on the Broadway bankers, were all a part of Spamalot. In a nutshell, (laugh) it was done perfectly. No flaws of the voice, timing, music or scene changes. Of course the scenes were not in the intricate Les Miserable mode Too much road hauling.. Nor should Spamalot be complicated. Keep it simple and stupid and find the Holy Grail.
The songs were very professionally done. Even by the audience who sang along. We anticipated the Norwegian Parrott and Vikings eating Spam stuff thanks to quick, short teasers. But, alas, the skits didn’t happen. They weren’t the property of Eric Idle, remember. But, they did find the Holy Grail of Christ. It was being held by Duluthian Aerial Weibe. Or Weebe or something like that. I don’t know if she was a real person or part of the Spamalot show. But, just like Broadway and London, the Grail Cup sat under seat D-101 of the DECC Auditorium. Stage left, next to a door so Patsy the Squire could find it and her.
Thank you DECC for bringing Spamalot to Duluth. Loved every second of it. Even compared to lofty, London. Aloha.
