By Philip Dorian
Staging “Monty Python’s Spamalot” requires a dozen skilled character actors, that many ensemble singers and dancers, some chorus cuties who can change costumes in seconds and look sexy in all of them and, ideally, a brassy orchestra.
All those elements are accounted for in Phoenix Productions’ “Spamalot.”
But like a complex recipe, a skilled chef is required to create a satisfying dish. Fortunately, Phoenix trusted the ingredients to director Gary Shaffer, who blended them into a delicious confection. Shaffer’s specialty is inspired nonsense; he and “Spamalot” were made for each other.
Don’t expect a recap of the Eric Idle (book and lyrics) and John Du Prez and Idle (music) show. The story, nominally about King Arthur and his Knights’ quest for the Holy Grail, veers into too many directions, each one zanier than the last. With characters named Not Dead Fred and Sir Not Appearing and song titles like “Fisch Schlapping Song” (don’t even ask) and “I Am Not Dead Yet,” sung, as you might expect, by Not Dead Fred, just sit back and laugh.
Familiarity with the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” from which the musical is “lovingly ripped off,” does enhance enjoyment, but it’s not necessary. Newbies might not “get” the Knights of Ni, especially over-amplified as here, but many bits from the movie – the vicious bunny rabbit, for one – are funny enough on their own.
If there really was an addle-brained King Arthur, he’d have looked and sounded like Michael Chartier. Entering on horseback (sort of) to the clop-clop of astonishingly realistic hoof beats (“What horse? You’re banging coconuts together!”), Chartier captures Arthur’s inane pomposity to a tee…and sings his numbers with booming authority.
As The Lady of the Lake, only mentioned in the movie, Christine Paccillo makes the most of her, um, natural assets and spoofs musical theater with “The Diva’s Lament,” about being relegated to offstage, and “The Song That Goes Like This,” a duet with Mike Patierno, first-rate as Sir Galahad, whose full name is Dennis Galahad. (Who knew?)
Among the character sendups, none is more fun than Patsy, Arthur’s lackey, played by Casey Okamoto as a sort of British Japanese American Buster Keaton. (The ethnic mix is from his bio; the Keaton reference is mine.) Okamoto anchors the signature production number, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” which you ***ITALwill***END sing during the curtain call.
Other standouts include show-biz savvy Anthony Preuster as show-biz savvy Sir Robin. His un-PC production number “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway (if you don’t have any Jews)” is a showstopper. Prince Herbert and Sir Lancelot’s “controversial” relationship is amusingly acted by AJ Melnick and Michael McEntee. They create a heart-warming couple.
James Steele’s choreography is consistently snappy in design and execution, and musical director Robert Sammond’s expertise overflows the stage into the pit. Joanne Penrose’s costuming leads the tech parade. The heraldic knights, Ms. Paccillo’s elaborate gowns and myriad other outfits contribute to the overall brightness of Phoenix’s “Spamalot.” It’s a fun-filled couple of hours.
“Spamalot:”Through Nov. 23 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank. Shows: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Info and tickets ($22-$32) at the Basie box office at 732-824-9000 or online at www.phoenixredbank.com.
P.S. Do not fail to read about the fake Finnish musical in the front of the program, which includes a suggestion to visit Finland, where the roads have relatively few bumps and things are very clean, but not pathologically so.
