**** Before last evening, I assumed I had seen every Jewish-infused musical out there. I now know that you cannot speak of classics like Fiddler on the Roof, The Producers, or even Ragtime without mentioning the absurdly hysterical love letter to Jews in theatre that is the song “You Can’t Succeed on Broadway (without Jews)” from Monty Python’s Spamalot. Truthfully, for this young Jewish theatre-maker, the show felt less like a nod to my roots and more like a living exhibit of musical theatre’s finest elements.I decided to enter the production blind last night, continuing my 21-year streak of never having heard the music or known the plot of this Monty Python classic. While unlike anything I’ve seen before, for the theatregoer yet to see Monty Python’s Spamalot, I enjoyed it in the same vein as I do Something Rotten! or The Book of Mormon. From the moment the lights rise, you are hit with a touring show that is finely tuned, sharply rehearsed, and yet still embracing the liveness of a musical.
Broadway’s Josh Rhodes directed and choreographed the production and did so with broad strokes of comedic genius that leave you laughing, singing, and, most importantly, smiling. Rhodes seamlessly intertwined his choreography with homages to our favorite musicals (i.e., a Phantom-style boat moment during “The Song That Goes Like This”) and industry inside jokes galore (i.e., the entire production number of “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway (without Jews)”). Eric Idle and John Du Prez, the show’s writer and composer, respectively, keep you on your toes if it’s your first viewing of Spamalot; you never will guess what comes next or what kind of tune you will hear. What’s certain is that you will drive home humming it all.
Standout performances include (but are not limited to) those by a candid, comedic, and effortlessly operatic Amanda Robles (Lady of the Lake), and a bold, deadpan when needed, booming bass, Major Attaway (King Arthur), who expertly drove the parody undertones of Spamalot. However, my standout performer didn’t play just one part; rather, he played four. Switching swiftly between Sir Lancelot, the French Taunter, the Knight of Ni, and Tim the Enchanter, Chris Collins-Pisano should complete this run of Spamalot and then go secure himself a spot on Saturday Night Live. Collins-Pisano left me and those around me in absolute stitches with his blend of energetic slapstick humor, dynamic facial expressions, and perfectly timed joke deliveries.
While a parody of all things Middle Ages and musical theatre at heart, Spamalot is designed with serious intent. Paul Tate dePoo III’s scenic design and projections and Cory Pattak’s lighting allowed the show to transform on a dime with ease. Kai Harada and Haley Parcher blended the sound quite well and really made Jonathan W. Gorst’s orchestra ring out beautifully.
Ultimately, the strongest quality of Rhodes’ Spamalot is that the audience is the key character in the show. Actors break the fourth wall to include us in the joke. The plot involves audience members to include us in the action, and the curtain call invites the audience to sing along to the ever-important reminder, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”
This upbeat, laughter-filled, classic musical should be made an essential part of your summer schedule. Spamalot hits all the right notes and tells all the best jokes, delivering this “Holy Grail” of musical theatre to adoring Milwaukee audiences.
Upcoming performances are as follows:
Wednesday, July 15: 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 16: 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 17: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 18: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 19: 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Duration: 2 hrs. 20 min., with intermission
Location: Uihlein Hall, Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St., Milwaukee,
Or you can call 800-513-7540
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