Warning: You May Laugh A Lot At SPAMALOT
–by Ashley Cox
Usually by 6:45 on a show night, the lobby of The Fabulous Fox in St. Louis is uncomfortably crammed but this Wednesday saw the crowd mostly arriving right before show time. Early arrivers were able to freely explore Peacock Alley, peruse the merch stand, and enjoy the seating outside of the ladies’ lounge on the ground floor. The show started with a visible jump from the audience from the noise of the draw bridge slamming shut followed by laughter as Eric Idle introduced the show (via recording, no surprise guests here, unfortunately).
The role of King Arthur was filled by Ellis C. Dawson III. For a moment I was disappointed as I had been looking forward to seeing Major Attaway again, having watched him as Genie in Aladdin. Dawson’s usual roles were filled by Graham Keen. Dawson played King Arthur with a serious sincerity versus Monty Python and the Holy Grail where Graham Chapman’s Arthur was a somewhat oblivious buffoon. To grasp all the jokes and references in the show, you will need a knowledge of a great deal of the Python’s movies and skits, modern pop culture, and musical theater. Is it necessary to enjoy it? No, but it adds layers if you do. I think I was the only person in my general area that caught the iconic Sasha Velour reference in “His Name is Lancelot.”
Speaking of Lancelot, the actors had to fill many roles during the night (The same way the Monty Python troupe did in the movie) and Chris Collins-Pisano was an absolute stand out. His ability to shape shift to the roles had me checking the Playbill multiple times. Lancelot, The French Taunter, the Knight of Ni, and Tim the Enchanter all needed different accents and physicalities.
Amanda Robles as The Lady of the Lake was stunning. She reminded me of Beetlejuice’s Bailey Frankenberg, combining impeccable comedic timing with just a gob smacking voice. My goodness… the divas are ruling the season at the Fox.
The show is rated for 8+, mostly for an abundance of bathroom humor and one butt. My stepdad raised me on The Holy Grail and Flying Circus so I always welcome more of the Python’s in my life. It combined 3 of my favorite things… dry British humor, too much pop culture knowledge, and of course Broadway. If you do not have the movie memorized, unlike some of us, maybe give it a quick viewing before your show. These bumbling “kaaaanigetts” are in town until May 17th, and tickets are still available. Next up will be the highly demanded return of MJ: The Musical returning for one week starting May 19th.