SPAMALOT, the musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, returns to Broadway for the first time ever, following a record-breaking sold-out run at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Peter Marks of The Washington Post exclaims “It’s UNFAIR to make me laugh this much! SPAMALOT is a tightly packed clown car speeding to musical theater nirvana!”
Everything that makes a great knight in the theatre is here, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake.
Letting the clowns run the flying circus, at least part-time, is integral to the history of Python’s success. (Idle told The Times that the material survives because “it was written by its actors and acted by its writers.”) It is also a smart move for a show that could otherwise feel calcified; a production I saw at the Stratford Festival over the summer seemed more like an animatronic museum exhibit, making me doubt it was really revivable. And even this mostly excellent production betrays a faint odor of mothballs, especially in the projection-heavy scenic design of Paul Tate dePoo III, so dependent on the feel of Terry Gilliam’s original animations. The key to the comedy is not after all replication but individuation. The Pythons were each their own kind of oddball, and the bits are only funny with fresh bite.
Age – a hiatus of 14 years, some of them plague-ridden – has not withered Spamalot’s inspired looniness. If you saw the Broadway production the first time around (2005-2009), of course you’re going to go back. Who would pass up a chance to relive Eric Idle’s hilariously dark spoof of the Middle Ages, especially as recast with a whole new set of comedic aces? All of the replacements, smartly marshaled by director/choreographer Josh Rhodes for last spring’s Kennedy Center revival, seem to be having the time of their lives.
Rush Tickets:
Price: $39
Where: St. James Theatre box office (246 West 44th Street) box office at 10AM ET Monday through Saturday and 12PM ET on Sunday.
Limit: Two per customer.
Restrictions: Locations and number of tickets based on availability; seats may be partial view.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $44
Where: LuckySeat.com
When: For weekday performances, entries will be accepted until 9:30AM ET the day of the performance, with winners being selected beginning at 10AM ET and continuing through the day as needed.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Winners will have a limited window in which to purchase and claim their tickets, so those entering are encouraged to keep an eye on the drawing on the dates they have entered.
2005 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2006 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2006 | West End |
London Production West End |
2007 | Las Vegas |
Las Vegas Production Las Vegas |
2010 | US Tour |
National Tour [Phoenix Entertainment] US Tour |
2012 | West End |
West End |
West End |
West End Revival Production West End |
|
2015 | Los Angeles |
Hollywood Bowl Production Los Angeles |
2023 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Monty Python's Spamalot |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Monty Python's Spamalot |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer |
Videos