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?

Quest for the Holy Grail!

Spamalot. April 6th.

I'm desperately trying to contain my excitement.

Of Sequels and Little Mermaids

Down Once More...!

Almost a week ago, Andrew Lloyd Webber announced that he would, indeed, be writing a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, currently the longest running musical on Broadway. (On his website he said he was 99.9% sure... I don't know if that number has since changed, but we'll go with that.) It is to be called The Phantom of Manhattan... so that should tell you the Phantom's new locale. Anyway, it's a story he developed with Frederick Forsyth and when it was dropped in 1999, Forsyth decided, "Why waste the plotline?" and turned it into a book. The basic story is Erik flees to NYC, becomes rich, builds and opera house, and tries to lure Christine there. It doesn't seem like Christine's role will be big but what do I know? I haven't read the book.

Now, there is no doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber has produced some very popular and well-received musicals. The top two longest-running musicals are owned by him: Phantom and Cats. He also wrote Evita and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. And many more. That is an impressive resume. However, I don't know how I feel about a Phantom sequel.

One person I know who absolutely LOVES The Phantom of the Opera has a theory that ALW is kinda losing it. Now, I love Gerard Butler. He is an excellent actor and an extremely good looking man. HOWEVER. He did not fit the part. He's supposed to be this amazing musical genius and the "Angel of Music" and Gerard simply did not have the voice for it. Oh and Emmy Rossum... good God. Anyone who thinks she's had "training" is clearly in the wrong. It is VERY clear by the way she phrases things, pronounces words, and scoops and slides (which is most definitely a no-no in a musical like Phantom) that she has had little experience singing outside of her shower. She doesn't have a bad voice, per se, but Christine Daae, she is not. They lowered the keys of the songs for her. I'm listening to her sing and finding all the scenes where everyone SUDDENLY STOPS to listen to her completely unbelievable.

I could go on about that movie for ages, but the real point here is that if I were ALW, I wouldn't have let them bastardize my work of genius like that. But he did. So, I look at this sequel with skeptism, though I'm sure there will be many memorable songs akin to "Music of the Night" and "Point of No Return." And for all my skeptism, when it comes out, I will most probably watch it.

Monty Strikes Again
After his smash hit, Spamalot, you can hardly blame Eric Idle for tempting the fates once more and adapting another popular Monty film into a musical... this time, he's adapting The Life of Brian in a musical called Not the Messiah. I haven't seen Spamalot, but I adore the soundtrack. (And God willing, I will see it soon!) I love the movie. I haven't seen The Life of Brian either, but I'll admit this news has me very excited. Idle promises that it'll be funnier than Handel's Messiah although probably not as good. I'm sure that's simply relative.

Part of Your World
As you may or may not know, Beauty and the Beast will be taking its final bow in July to make way for a NEW Disney musical... this time an adaption of The Little Mermaid. At first I was kind of put off by it, but now I really can't wait. They've announced some of the casting and it sounds really promising. The cast includes Sherie Rene Scott (Ursula), Norm Lewis (King Triton), and Sierra Boggess (Ariel).

It'll be interesting, of course, to see how they adapt the underwater world for the stage. Costuming and staging should be really great for this musical. I can't wait!

You can click here to listen to a (really) short clip of Sierra (I assume) singing "Part of Your World". For more info on The Little Mermaid and workshop demo music, go here.