Spamalot Review

I saw Spamalot last weekend in Charlotte, NC. In our Bus Driver's absence, I'll share with you some of the highlights.

There aren't any big name actors in the traveling show, but it didn't matter. The whole musical comedy is so over-the-top in sets, costumes and the excellent talent of the relative unknown actors, that I never missed the fact that Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce weren't there.

Favorite scenes from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail are re-created, with a twist. The ends of the scenes are changed so that they fit into a new story that tells how Arthur recruited his band of knights and then how they scattered in the effort to "find your Grail" as the recurring theme song encourages.

Camelot is portrayed as Las Vegas. "What happens in Camelot stays in Camelot." There are plenty of Vegas-style dance numbers and leggy girls in costumes Hugh Hefner would approve. Getting there is more than half the trip. Therefore, it won't take anything away from your enjoyment for me to reveal that in the process of finding his Grail, Lancelot comes out of the closet and Robin discovers his love of musical theater. It is very, very funny.

When you go, sit as close to the stage as possible. We were on bottled oxygen in the back of the balcony, and I think something is lost when you can't clearly see the actor's faces. This stage production is as outrageous as a French trebuchet loaded with a wooden rabbit. If you already love Monty Python, by all means GO. If you've never heard of them, Spamalot is a silly place with strong language that may not be your cup of tea.

--Chai-rista