18
SUMMER PROGRAM 2013
About Tonight
We kick off our 95th season with the Muny premiere of Monty Python’s
Spamalot
,
a show that describes itself as “lovingly ripped off from the motion picture
Monty
Python and the Holy Grail
.”
To such dismissive self-deprecation, we say “
Ni!
”
Like all the television, films, and albums the comedy troupe Monty Python created
between 1969 and 1983, this Tony
®
Award-winning “Best Musical” is subversive,
smart and surprising.
Spamalot
stomps on, then tap dances with, everything we love
about musicals. It shows us that clever silliness is its own profound art form. And it
reminds us what an astonishing impact Monty Python had on comedy. There would
be no
Saturday Night Live
, no
Bridesmaids
, without the Pythons.
Spamalot
is directed and choreographed by Denis Jones, who had similar duties for
last season’s electrifying production of
Chicago
. When I first met with Denis about
this season, he was cool and low-key, his eyes giving nothing away. But when I asked
him about
Spamalot
, a smile slowly spread across his face, and his eyes twinkled. Then
he hit me with a fish.
Denis’ challenge was made easier by an amazing cast. How great to have the
sensationally talented John O’Hurley as our King Arthur. You may know him from
Seinfeld
or
Dancing with the Stars
, or as one of
People
magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive.”
But he’s surely most famous worldwide for his portrayal of Gus in The Muny’s 1986
production of
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
. (If this
is
how you know John, you may want
to cancel your reservation on TWA.)
John is surrounded by a troupe of rich (well, not really – we pay mostly in Muny
margarita certificates) comic actors with fascinating pedigrees. Michele Ragusa won
a now-defunct Kevin Kline Award for her Lina Lamont in 2011’s
Singin’ in the Rain
.
Some claim her performance accelerated the Kline’s defunctness, but we still wanted
her back. John Scherer received such high praise for the Rep’s recent production of
The Foreigner
that he wouldn’t leave town, so we kind of had to hire him. Chris Hoch
is in witness protection, so he worked for fewer certificates, and someone on the crew
owed Kevin Cahoon a favor (you don’t ask – they’re the crew). David Hibbard was
last here as the Rum Tug Tugger in
Cats
, so we
really
owed him. Ben Davis and Tally
Sessions will be back for
South Pacific
so I won’t waste space on them. Really, they’re
all great. You’ll see.
Coconuts in hand, we’re off to
Spamalot
, and the Holy Grail of another thrilling Muny
season. There’s still some joke to be made about seven knights/nights of pleasure, but
we don’t want to alienate the family audience. They buy the most margaritas. By far.
Mike Isaacson
Executive Producer
SPAM
