Leslie Frank-Taylor
Cue the coconut shells, the knights of Spamalot have cantered into Madison with a silly and charming Broadway version of Arthurian events, thanks to the Four Season Theatre production, which runs through August 7 at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and The Holy Grail, Spamalot riffs on the legend of the Knights of the Round Table, who are charged with finding the Holy Grail, fighting some ill-tempered Frenchmen, rescuing Prince Herbert and putting on a Broadway show. (They also eat ham and jam a lot.) Along the way, they meet a bevy of beautiful show girls, the Lady of the Lake, a killer rabbit, a knight who simply will not give up the fight, no matter how many of his body parts are hacked off, and of course, the shrubbery-loving Knights who say “Ni.”
The audience members knew they were in for an irreverent and laugh-packed evening during the overture — when a trumpet player in the pit went off script and was musically walloped by his fellow orchestra members. Sight gags, pop culture references, flatulence, jabs at other Broadway shows (including Hamilton, Chicago, Cats, and Fiddler on the Roof) and a couple of Madison-centric drop-ins assured that no opportunity for comedy would be overlooked. And these devices were in addition to the classic Monty Python sketches, complete with their signature interstitial animation, which had many audience members laughing even before the actors could deliver their lines. Likewise, many viewers whistled along with the Life of Brian standard “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” before the cast invited them to join in.
In her pre-show announcement, Producing Artistic Director Sarah Marty proudly said that the cast was assembled using only local talent which, given the ensemble’s universally accomplished, vocally strong performances, is astounding. Doug Swenson’s somewhat stuffy King Arthur is pitch perfect. Christiaan Smith-Kotlarek’s gorgeous baritone as Sir Galahad is a great match for his duet partner, Samantha Sostarich and her killer soprano as the Lady of the Lake. One almost wishes they had a standard love song to sing instead of the ironic tongue-in-cheek number “The Song that Goes Like This.” Brassy and bold, Sostarich is a powerhouse, and as she states over and over in the musical, it’s a shame her character doesn’t have more stage time. With an array of earnest facial expressions, Joel Roberts makes the most of his role as Patsy, the king’s lackey. (He also gets huge points for dealing with so many props.) Watch him steal the scene during Arthur’s lament, “I’m All Alone.” And Sam Taylor brings energy and pizzazz to each of his smaller roles, ending with an adorably lovelorn Prince Herbert who “just wants to sing.”
A supremely talented cast gives Spamalot the raw material it needs to succeed; the other half of the equation lies in finding a director/choreographer who is preternaturally suited to musical theater: Brian Cowing. His complex and beautifully executed dance numbers (including three rounds of tap dancing!), in addition to dozens of small flourishes that make a funny show even funnier, really set this production apart.
Accents roamed throughout the British Isles, a couple of costume pieces seemed weirdly out of place, and representing the ministry for funny voices, Jordan Peterson had some difficulty being understood when his characters became too shrill. But these are very small nits on an excellent show overall.
So grab your coconut shells and gallop over to get your tickets – this amazing production only has two more performances this weekend.
