For my birthday back in December Laura had given me tickets to Spamalot at the Peace Center. It seemed light April 12 would never get here, but finally the time arrived, and we headed downtown Saturday night for the performance.
Any time a beloved work of art (if this can be considered such) is transformed into another medium (book-to-movie, etc) things are going to change. The new medium itself has constraints that are going to be imposed on the original concept. In the case of Spamalot, the essence of Monty Python and the Holy Grail is there. However those elements are condensed and distilled to fit the format of the show. Also, since Holy Grail is so well-known, a simple repetition on stage isn’t sufficient. Something new must be added to generate interest.
There are still coconuts, the Knights Who Say “Ni”, “strange women lying in ponds distributing swords”, and debates about the average air speed velocity of an unladen European swallow. Some of the gags from the original movie have been expanded, such as a full song and dance routine based on “I’m Not Dead Yet,” and a Las Vegas casino conceptualization of “We’re Knights of the Round Table.” Characters were altered and added, as well as plot lines changed, but it was still Monty Python. John Cleese even makes a surprise appearance.
The original Monty Python and the Holy Grail was a farce of the highest order. Spamalot goes beyond that, adding more silliness and gags. I had a great time and really enjoyed the show. However, I still think the original will always be my favorite. I did resist the urge to buy a killer rabbit puppet or coconut halves from the vendor as we left.
[tags]Broadway, Spamalot, musical[/tags]
I’m jealous. Sounds great. I wouldn’t have been able to resist the vendor.