It’s best to be a true fan of Monty Python to really appreciate the irreverent musical “Spamalot.” Sure, the show gives us plenty of opportunity to join in and poke fun at musical theater. Or to immerse ourselves in the witty wordplay and puns. But “Spamalot” may best be savored by the connoisseurs of this type of British comedy.
That said, there’s still enough strong acting and strong singing for us lesser fans to have a fun ride during this rollicking, frolic through Camelot. “Spamalot” plays at the Paramount in Seattle through Oct. 28.
The premise of this cheeky spin-off of the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” follows King Arthur as he recruits knights for his round table and seeks the symbol of his power, the Holy Grail, while holding onto the possibility of making a Broadway musical and then possibly marrying the lovely Lady of the Lake. While this is going on, the king and his men fight foes who demand shrubbery, avoid catapulting cows and killer rabbits, and deal with their personal issues such as whether or not to come out of the closet.
To keep all this cohesive is half the battle, but King Arthur was triumphant. We watched as the highly talented Michael Siberry steadfastly meandered through the story, never wavering from his quest. Siberry was a multitalented king who could deliver one-liners with comic skill as well as sing, dance and just be darn charming. Throughout, Siberry reigned supreme.
Strong acting and definitely strong singing was beautifully delivered by Esther Stilwell, the show’s Lady of the Lake. Stilwell produced a dynamic diva and owned this role after being its understudy for more than a year. Stilwell shined in all the show’s musical genres, belting out gospel as well as the chops-challenging ballad “The Diva’s Lament.” As the lone female star in “Spamalot,” Stilwell confidently guided this kooky band of knights like a sultry queen bee.
The supporting cast of knights and Arthur’s patsy, Patsy, deserve kudos for their versatility. Each actor had multiple roles to play, but in each role, they never let us down in the comedy department and each was quite adept at exchanging quips and puns quicker than you could pull out a sword. So a hearty round of applause to Ben Davis, Jeff Dumas, Patrick Heusinger, Anthony Holds, Robert Petkoff and Christopher Gurr.
Other highlights included the wonderfully original song and dance number of the “Laker Girls Cheer,” both hilarious scenes involving the rabbits (the big wooden one and the killer one), the variably lighted clouds that added a great touch to the whole set, itself based on Python Terry Gilliam’s animation, and the song that you really didn’t mind looping in your head: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”
For the true fans there was certainly a prosperity of Pythonian gags such as God’s rocket-powered feet, the Knights Who Say Ni, the bring-out-your-dead skit and the huge cow. The French knight delivered some of the best in Python humor with such lines as “Your mother was a hamster,” “I wave my private parts at your aunties,” and “I burst my pimples at you.”
But for those of us lesser fans, “Spamalot” might have gone over the top with some of its Vegaslike numbers where the glitter was way too glittery or the costumes went from campy to just plain clownish. And there didn’t seem to be enough fresh stuff to spread throughout the entire show, with numbers like “The Song That Goes Like This” being quite funny at first but not so funny the third time around.
But these quirks won’t bother true Python fans. They will remain loyal to their king.
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