In its pre-Broadway musical theater incarnation, under the direction of multi-award winner Mike Nichols, with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and book and lyrics by Idle, Spamalot stars Tim Curry as King Arthur in the year 932 A.D. Along with his trusty sidekick Patsy (Michael McGrath), who both carries the King’s heavy load and provides the horse galloping sound with a pair of hollowed-out coconut halves, Arthur seeks out and rounds up his round table knights, including the uneasy Sir Robin (David Hyde Pierce) of the delicate bowels, Sir Lancelot (Hank Azaria) of questionable sexuality, the ugly
duckling turned swan Sir Dennis Galahad (openly gay actor Christopher Sieber) and Sir Bedevere (Steve Rosen), for his holy grail quest.

Those familiar with the movie will recognize many memorable aspects, including Monty Python’s distinctive use of animation. There is the modern day historian (Christopher Borle) who appears, at the beginning of both acts, to help set the scene. There is also the famous “bring out your dead” sequence which leads to the song “I Am Not Dead Yet,” as well as the familiar witch hunt scene allowing for the number “Burn Her!.” The song “Knights Of The Round Table,” which some people will identify from the original movie, makes an appearance in the show, complete with spruced-up choreography by Casey Nicholaw.

The insult-spewing French taunter (Azaria in another role) atop the French castle is also present, as is the cow that is catapulted over the castle wall. There is both the Trojan rabbit and The Killer Rabbit, as well as the Black Knight (who is reduced to being a limbless, albeit tireless, warrior) and the Knights of Ni and their shrubbery request. Even the song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (originally heard in 1979’s Life of Brian as “Bright Side of Life”) is dusted off for Spamalot.

For those who might have felt that Monty Python’s humor had the occasional ring of an inside joke, the good news is that Spamalot transforms the wit into a something-for-everyone type of show. The Dungeons and Dragons-players are sure to get off on the medieval humor, particularly the Monty Python brand of it. Musical theater queens will not only be drawn to the theatrical references throughout the show (among which you will find West Side Story, The Phantom Of The Opera, and Fiddler On The Roof, to name a few), but also to the mostly traditional musical theater numbers--not to mention the occasional Sondheim-like turn of phrase in the song lyrics, and the near-relentless parody (“The Song That Goes Like This,” a barb aimed at Andrew Lloyd Webber, is just one example).

Even lovers of pop culture will have a field day when the female associates of the Lady of The Lake (Sara Ramirez, who possesses a sensational singing voice) morph into Lady of the Laker Girls, complete with suggestive cheers and costumes. Sir Robin performs his big show-stopper “You Won’t Succeed On Broadway,” and there are assorted jabs at divas such as Sarah Brightman, Whitney Houston and Marlene Dietrich.

Of particular interest is the pumped-up gay aspect of the show. Sir Lancelot’s rescue of the fey Prince Herbert (Borle) from the tower in the movie is expanded on greatly in Spamalot, even allowing for a colorful disco-driven number, “His Name Is Lancelot,” in which Lance is outed. By the end of the show, he and Herbert are a couple and note that more than a thousand years later, such a coupling will still be a source of controversy.

Easily the tastiest big-budget Broadway-bound musical based on a movie since The Producers, Spamalot allows the cast to ham-a-lot, and audiences are sure to eat it up.

Spamalot can be seen in its pre-Broadway run at the Shubert Theater in Chicago until Jan. 23, 2005. Previews begin at the Shubert Theater in New York on Feb. 14, 2005, with the official opening on March 17, 2005.

More info at the official Spamalot site.