Find Your Grail
Show: Monty Python's Spamalot
Venue: Shubert Theatre
Date: April 6, 2007
I love Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a movie I consider one of the quintessential comedies and classic movies that everyone in the whole world should see. That being held true, Spamalot would logically then be one of the quintessential musicals that everyone should see.
I'd listened to the entire soundtrack several times before I went to see the show, but it never really occurred to me exactly how true the musical is to the movie. The musical has a lot of the same jokes as the movie... and yet they're still quite funny!! Almost every memorable joke in the movie is in the musical, and there are some new ones as well. You have the Knights of Ni, Tim the Enchanter, the Killer Rabbit, and the Black Knight. There are some new jokes as well, some built off of off-hand remarks in the movie (Galahad to Lancealot: "I bet you're gay.")
If you want to see a classic Broadway show with the lights and the dancing and set changes, this is it. It has a real "show" feel... a show that's aimed at entertainment for the sake of entertainment. I adore this show. It's possibly my favorite. Hard to say. I'm biased though since I love love love the movie. I love love love LOVE the musical.
The cast was pretty good... though I wasn't too overly impressed with the person playing Lady of the Lake. I'm accustomed to Sara Ramirez's take and she's absolutely amazing in the recording (and in the Tony performance) and I felt the one I saw was somewhat weak in comparison. She was a good actor and she had a good voice but mreh. The Knights were great. Prince Herbert was fab. I loved the pink slippers.
This show is DEFINITELY for a more mature audience, as there are a lot of sexual/mature references. And you probably should watch the movie before you go see it. I could tell who had seen the movie and who hadn't just based on reactions in the audience (and the fact the little girl in front of me kept giving me strange looks when I'd laugh at certain scenes). Oh, but the BEST was "You Won't Succeed on Broadway"... omg. The song, the choreography, the big bright shining Star of David... oh God. You have to see it to believe it.
I had balcony seats which actually kinda sucked. Usually I don't mind wherever I'm sitting but they have lights up in the balcony that kinda illuminate the whole area, and you can see a lot of the effects happening before they do. I could see the guy who was holding the stuffed bunny during the Killer Rabbit scene. There were other things we missed too, sitting so high up. If I were to see it again, I'd like to sit in the orchestra or mezzanine.
Oh! Another bad experience I had... Usually when I go to shows I ask for two playbills. I tear off the cover of one and keep the other. I pin up the torn off cover on my wall. Anyway, at almost every show, the ushers are very nice and compliant and more than willing to hand me an extra. NOT SO AT THIS SHOW. The old woman was very cross and rude and told me to go sit down. I was so mad.
All in all, a WONDERFUL show that I'd love to see again. Though, I've said that for most of the ones I've seen, haven't I?
Venue: Shubert Theatre
Date: April 6, 2007
I love Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a movie I consider one of the quintessential comedies and classic movies that everyone in the whole world should see. That being held true, Spamalot would logically then be one of the quintessential musicals that everyone should see.
I'd listened to the entire soundtrack several times before I went to see the show, but it never really occurred to me exactly how true the musical is to the movie. The musical has a lot of the same jokes as the movie... and yet they're still quite funny!! Almost every memorable joke in the movie is in the musical, and there are some new ones as well. You have the Knights of Ni, Tim the Enchanter, the Killer Rabbit, and the Black Knight. There are some new jokes as well, some built off of off-hand remarks in the movie (Galahad to Lancealot: "I bet you're gay.")
If you want to see a classic Broadway show with the lights and the dancing and set changes, this is it. It has a real "show" feel... a show that's aimed at entertainment for the sake of entertainment. I adore this show. It's possibly my favorite. Hard to say. I'm biased though since I love love love the movie. I love love love LOVE the musical.
The cast was pretty good... though I wasn't too overly impressed with the person playing Lady of the Lake. I'm accustomed to Sara Ramirez's take and she's absolutely amazing in the recording (and in the Tony performance) and I felt the one I saw was somewhat weak in comparison. She was a good actor and she had a good voice but mreh. The Knights were great. Prince Herbert was fab. I loved the pink slippers.
This show is DEFINITELY for a more mature audience, as there are a lot of sexual/mature references. And you probably should watch the movie before you go see it. I could tell who had seen the movie and who hadn't just based on reactions in the audience (and the fact the little girl in front of me kept giving me strange looks when I'd laugh at certain scenes). Oh, but the BEST was "You Won't Succeed on Broadway"... omg. The song, the choreography, the big bright shining Star of David... oh God. You have to see it to believe it.
I had balcony seats which actually kinda sucked. Usually I don't mind wherever I'm sitting but they have lights up in the balcony that kinda illuminate the whole area, and you can see a lot of the effects happening before they do. I could see the guy who was holding the stuffed bunny during the Killer Rabbit scene. There were other things we missed too, sitting so high up. If I were to see it again, I'd like to sit in the orchestra or mezzanine.
Oh! Another bad experience I had... Usually when I go to shows I ask for two playbills. I tear off the cover of one and keep the other. I pin up the torn off cover on my wall. Anyway, at almost every show, the ushers are very nice and compliant and more than willing to hand me an extra. NOT SO AT THIS SHOW. The old woman was very cross and rude and told me to go sit down. I was so mad.
All in all, a WONDERFUL show that I'd love to see again. Though, I've said that for most of the ones I've seen, haven't I?
2 comments:
Man ... jealous much? I hate you. And I love you. :D
The guy who plays Bedivere is Jeffrey Kuhn. Any relation to Judy Kuhn?
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