Spamalot opens on Broadway tonight, and it’s safe to say the Middle Ages haven’t been this funny since, well, the last time Spamlot opened on Broadway nearly 20 years ago.
Perfectly cast and splendidly performed, with Josh Rhodes’ deceptively no-frills direction (and choreography) placing the irresistible goings-on front and center, the revival has lost none of the smart-dumb charm of either the original musical or its great source of inspiration – the beloved 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
You certainly don’t have to be one of the many Grail acolytes who can quote bits of greatest-hits dialogue (“It’s just a flesh wound,” or “Bring out your dead!”) or who’ll start laughing moments before the Killer Rabbit actually shows its face (and what a face), but the die-hards will be as pleased as the newbies with this very funny revival.
Written by Python Eric Idle (book and lyrics), with music by Idle and John Du Prez (and Life of Brian‘s “Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life” tossed in for good measure), Spamalot is one of the rare recent film-to-stage adaptations that makes a strong case for the practice.
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