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London 2006: Fechez La Vache!

spamalot2_400.jpgI've been to quite a few plays on London's West End over the years, and the unquestionable highlight was seeing David Suchet as Salieri bring down the house at the Old Vic in Peter Schaffer's, Amadeus.

Tim Curry's King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot doesn't come anywhere near that rareified level of theatrical excellence, but it was still jolly good fun watching Dr. Frank N. Furter hammily urge his motley crew of English kuh-niggits to "find their grail".

Certain bits, like the French Taunting, translated brilliantly to the stage, and others, like the Black Knight and Killer Rabbit, not so well. The book was filled with extended versions of songs from the original film, along with a nicely done lampoon of West End musicals called, "The Song That Goes Like This". The musical lowpoint of the evening was "You Won't Succeed On Broadway" which wanted to be a Mel Brooks-style parody of the ubiquitousness of jews in the entertainment business, but came periously close to genuinely offensive anti-Semitism instead.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention the iron lungs (and Huge Tracts of Land) of the Lady of the Lake, aptly assayed the evening I attended by Amy Field, understudy to Hannah Waddingham. That watery tart can lob a scimitar at me anytime she likes.

Comments

I would give one of my lungs to see Suchet as Salieri. The thought of him in the role gives me goosebumps. I shall be jealous of you for life!

I'd pay to hear Suchet read from the Yellow Pages.

merde!

spamalot comes to baltimore in march, we are quite pleased to say we scored some tickets.

we will go see the violence inherent in the system.

Who's playing Arthur in the traveling production?