Spamalot

The Tony Award-winning musical, Monty Python's Spamalot, made its Milwaukee debut as a recent stop on the show's national tour. Lovingly "ripped off" from the 1975 film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the musical takes audiences on a journey of the absurd.

For the uninitiated, the musical contains all of the nuttiness one would expect from any show associated with Monty Python's Flying Circus, the English comedy troupe that formerly had its own TV show. Still, the big-budget musical rises to heights not seen with the tacky gimmicks typically used by Monty Python.

The story is loosely based on the story of King Arthur, his knights of the round table, and their quest for the Holy Grail. At times, the show is hilarious, outrageous, flatulently funny, gleeful and idiotic. In short, it works.

There cannot be a merrier band of actors than the hard-working troupe in Spamalot. Most of the cast have Broadway credits, and it shows. They are in top form during every second of the evening.

As Arthur, Gary Beach (of The Producers) is notably restrained in this performance, as he should be. He's the one whose character keeps a sense of normality throughout the musical. Beach is a big, husky guy who fills out his chain mail quite well, and his singing is exceptional, as well.

One wishes the same could be said about Esther Stilwell as The Lady of the Lake (except the part about being big and husky). She is petite, dainty and almost sweet-tempered, not the tempestuous diva the Lady needs to be. Her voice is good, but her range is unimpressive. This critic saw a far better Lady in the Las Vegas version of "Spamalot" last year; this one was pale in comparison.

As Patsy, Arthur's ragged squire, Brad Bradley brings everything necessary to the part. This is very important, as Patsy is onstage almost constantly, and he appears in several major production numbers. His musical highlight is the sweetly hummable, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." As he's joined by the knights, they all twirl sparkly umbrellas and do an expertly executed soft-shoe routine. By this time, the audience is unprepared for a quasi-"normal" production number, having already been assaulted by music and lyrics that are clever but unconventional.

For example, it seems completely ordinary for the tap-dancing knights to burst out with such lyrics as, "we eat ham and jam and Spam a lot." Stupid, perhaps, but still fun to watch.

This tour is basically identical to the Broadway production (with a different cast, of course). Even audience members who aren't familiar with Monty Python-style antics and references to other musicals (notably, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables) will still get a rib-splitting evening at the theater. Finally, it should be noted that production values are terrific, including a number of special effects.