‘Spamalot’ revival a tonic for troubled times

‘CAMELOT’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT
Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle
Book & lyrics by Eric Idle
Direction & choreography by Josh Rhodes
St. James Theatre
246 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), SpamalotTheMusical.com/

By David NouNou

You might think that a musical that opened in 2005 and closed in 2009 might be too early to have a revival. In most cases, I would agree with you. However, in the case of Spamalot,  it couldn’t have come fast enough. In these troubled times where laughter comes so sporadically, it is good to be able to laugh out loud and unabashedly.

To most readers, you may have seen the original Spamalot; not to worry as there has been so much schtick and one-liners added in so many scenes, you forget and ask yourself was this in the original version? That is part of the fun of watching Spamalot amidst all the mayhem and wondering, “Was this in or not? I don’t remember it.”

King Arthur (James Monroe Iglehart) is traveling with his steadfast servant Patsy (Christopher Fitzgerald) across the European countries in 923 A.D. to round out knights to form his Round Table in Camelot. Along the way he encounters Sir Robin (Michael Urie); he will be needed for his specialty, singing and dancing. They then encounter the brutish but handsome Sir Lancelot (Taran Killam) for his fighting ability. They are met by Dennis Galahad (Nik Walker) but he is not convinced that Arthur is really a king. So, Arthur summons The Lady of the Lake (Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer) to vouch for his authenticity and with the help of her “Laker Girls” turns Dennis into Sir Galahad, joined later with Sir Bedevere (Jimmy Smagula). These merry band of men have been assigned the task by God himself to find the Holy Grail.

And so, the fun begins. You’ll witness every sort of chicanery and slapstick sight gags that the mind can conceive. In addition, with the exception of King Arthur and The Lady of the Lake, everyone on the St. James Theatre stage plays multiple roles and part of the fun is guessing who is playing whom at any particular moment.

The most hysterical scene and number comes in the second act where in order to move to the next part of the quest for the Holy Grail, Sir Robin has to create a show for Broadway. In order to do that he needs Jews for the show, because every show has to have Jews in them for it to succeed. In the song “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway,” he demonstrates by having a chorus of men doing a takeoff on Fiddler on the Roof by having the chorus do the incredible bottle dance and a huge Star of David descends onto the stage. A showstopper if ever there was one. More craziness ensues but it must be seen to be fully appreciated.

What’s really impressive is the energy the cast imbues into the show. From start to finish, the zaniness never stops. The performances are all first rate: Michael Urie as Sir Robin has never been better; it’s great seeing him stretching his talent to higher standards. Taran Killam in multiple roles is terrific as Sir Lancelot, a taunting Frenchman, a Knight of Ni. Charles Fitzgerald is masterful as always as King Arthur’s Patsy. Ethan Slater is a treasure in no less than nine different roles.

Of course, there is also the sublime Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Lady of the Lake. She’s great in the first act and nearly steals the second in “Diva’s Lament” this comes because she has been left out of two thirds of the second act.

The only misfire of the evening is the incomparable James Monroe Iglehart. He seems to be stifled by the entire King Arthur persona and can’t cut loose as when he was the Grand Genie in Aladdin. A minor miscalculation.

Scenic and production designer Paul Tate DePOO III has created colorful and whimsical sets. Josh Rhodes’ direction/choreography is not as concise as Mike Nichols’ direction and Christopher Nicholaw’s choreography. Mr. Rhodes has given the cast free rein to ad-lib.

Spamalot comes at a perfect time, just before the holidays. Get tickets soon and make the holidays even more festive and enjoyable. You’ll be beaming for the rest of the night.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 22, 2023
Reviewed at November 21, 2023 press performance.

‘SPAMALOT’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SPAMALOT’: Nik Walker & Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SPAMALOT’ (Left to right): Michael Urie, Nik Walker, James Monroe Iglehart, Christopher Fitzgerald, Jimmy Smagula & Taran Killam. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SPAMALOT’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SPAMALOT’: Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

Christopher Fitzgerald & James Monroe Iglehart. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SPAMALOT’: (Left to right) Michael Fatica, Taran Killam, Drew Reddington & Ethan Slater. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.