by Mike Hoban
‘Spamalot’ – Directed by BT McNicholl; Choreography by Jennifer Rias; Music Direction by Fred Lassen; Set Design by Nate Bertone; Lighting Design by Rich Latta; Sound Design by Kevin Heard; Costume Coordination by Jill Tarr. Presented by the Ogunquit Playhouse at 10 Main St, Ogunquit, ME through July 10th.
If the CDC were to provide guidance on the musical best suited to break us out of the isolation and joylessness of the past 15 months, it would come as no surprise if Dr. Fauci recommended Spamalot,the 2005 Monty Python-inspired Broadway musical now playing at the Ogunquit Playhouse. This entertaining production is precisely the kind of silly fun needed to snap theatergoers out of our doldrums by reminding us of the joy of the shared experience of laughing out loud with a crowd of people. Worn down for too long by the pandemic and the increasingly toxic political landscape, Spamalot provides a salve to the psyche that the weightier classics (Cabaret, Ragtime, Fiddler etc.) just couldn’t deliver during this unique space in time.
Loosely adapted from the 1975 movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot delivers huge laughs by taking many of the best scenes from the movie (as well as stealing bits from classic Python routines) and reworking them into a cockeyed narrative that works well even if you’ve never seen the source material. The plot is broadly based on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and their quest for the Holy Grail, but it’s really just a framing device for extreme Python silliness. So we get rejiggered versions of the “Knights Who Say ‘Ni!”, “Bring Out Your Dead”, and an extended (but VERY funny) edition of the French castle humiliation scene (“your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of elderberries”), but there is plenty of additional material, too.
In one new scene, Camelot is transformed into a Las Vegas nightclub featuring a glitzy song and dance routine with showgirls and the Lady of the Lake (a terrific Mariand Torres) as the headliner, and there’s a number about needing Jews to have a successful Broadway show (“You Won’t Succeed on Broadway”), which includes a cute parody of Fiddler on the Roof. Spamalot also takes aim at the Broadway musical form itself, via “The Song That Goes Like This”, a cynical sendup of the formulaic and manipulative nature of so many songs in musicals – which is beautifully sung by The Lady of the Lake and Sir Galahad (the dashing Daniel A. Lopez). It’s also the best song of the evening, save for the still brilliant Python hit, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.
The cast is led by Charles Shaughnessy, known by many as Mr. Sheffield from the 90’s TV show “The Nanny” as King Arthur. Shaughnessy (who is reprising his role from the 2010 Ogunquit production) sings well enough, but more importantly, brings that regal British presence to the role. Jennifer Cody is a charmer as Patsy, the faithful but grossly underappreciated servant who gets her chance to shine as the lead on “Bright Side”, but it is Torres that nearly steals the show with her powerhouse vocals on multiple numbers.
If you’re feeling a bit skittish about returning to the theater, be advised that the indoor theater remains closed and has been supplanted with a new 25,000 square foot, fully covered outdoor performance venue known as The Leary Pavilion. It’s not a tent, it’s a legitimate venue. There are 26 rows of armless chairs, configured in PODs of two seats, with seating staggered for clear sight lines to the stage. Patrons and staff alike must wear masks inside the theater space until seated, as well as on the grounds, and there are signs that say, “If your body is in motion, you must wear a mask!” If you want to experience the “Bright Side of Life” once again, Spamalot is a great place to start. For tickets and info, go to: http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/monty-pythons-spamalot
