Sarcasm Floods the Stage, Spamalot Sure to Please

Jess Lipowski

Monty Python fans across the nation will be pleased to know that “Spamalot” was loving ripped off from “Monty Python and The Holy Grail.” Not harshly, insensitively, ruthlessly, timidly, or anything of the sort, but simply lovingly.

Before doors opened, the corridors of the Great Hall were decked out with holiday cheer. People of all ages, old and young alike, conversed causally anticipating the show. All were in good humor eagerly waiting for doors to open.  

Laughter resonated on opening night, Tuesday, December 4 as actors said they were ambivalent about cell phones ringing. Warnings were given about leaving on all cell phones and pagers, though, of knights waiting on stage to impale the person at the sound of a dial. I never did hear a cell phone go off, though; if it did, the knights cut off the problem at once. 

Acting was by far the most hilarious aspect of the show. Much of the humor presented would not have been portrayed had the actors not had defined facial expressions and dynamic singing abilities. Irony and sarcasm is a great thing, especially when it comes to Monty Python.  

Esther Stillwell, Lady of the Lake, was quite versatile in her acting abilities. One minute she was graceful as a swan, no pun intended, and the next, she was “one of the guys,” bellowing away notes. She was sarcastic in which she represented theatrical stereotypes. She had some of the funniest lines, especially with her two main songs “The Song That Goes Like This” and “The Diva’s Lament.” 

King Arthur, however played by Michael Siberry, led the way for several diverse and unique knights to follow him on the quest to locate a Holy Grail. His voice was strong, but the knights that followed him made his entire character even stronger. Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot, Sir Robin, Patsy, and Sir Bedevere were his knights of shining armor.

One scene worth mentioning that received much laughter and clear audience happiness was when Robin, adorned in green, sang about how one could not succeed on Broadway unless there was a Jew in the production. The lights and costumes in this scene were bright and blinding, but were needed to convey Broadway’s “showiness.” Robert Petkoff played Sir Robin.

An unexpected turn occurred, though, when Sir Lancelot ended up being gay. The scene hurt my eyes with how bright it was. The lighting crew certainly did its job at that point.

There were some noticeable lighting glitches, especially when focusing on a single character. The scenery, on the other hand, moved with such fluidity that one hardly made notice of props and set pieces moving about.

A classic tune, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” was featured again at the end to include audience participation and a chance to sing off-key. Confetti spewed from every corner, celebrating the ironic humor of Monty Python (actually, it was probably just to exemplify the show was over). 

All in all, from King Arthur to his knights to the supporting cast in the ensemble, dance numbers were exquisite in enthusiasm portrayed and showed the amount of effort put into the production.

With superb instrumentals, flashy costumes and impeccable coconut sounds, “Spamalot” is sure to please Monty Python fans and addict those only exposed to it for the first time.