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    See Short North Stage’s Frenetic, Funny Spamalot Through April 15

    The first – to my knowledge – locally created production of Monty Python’s Spamalot, Broadway’s hit adaptation of Monty Python and The Holy Grail by Python troupe member Eric Idle (Book, Lyrics, co-write Music) and John Du Prez (co-write Music) opened Thursday at Short North Stage in a stellar production directed and choreographed by Edward Carignan.

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    Monty Python's Spamalot runs through April 15 at Short North Stage. Photo by Adam Zeek.
    Monty Python’s Spamalot runs through April 15 at Short North Stage. Photo by Adam Zeek.

    Spamalot follows the bones of the film’s irreverent take on King Arthur’s (Tim Browning) journey from retrieving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake (Danielle Grays) through assembling his team of knights and searching for the Holy Grail while also leading them on the journey (with a big and  knowing wink) to find the real grail inside themselves. It smartly transposes the ahead-of-its-time metafictional elements of the film into commentary, both sly and broad, on the tropes of the lavish, Broadway musical. Carignan’s choreography and direction honor the flash and the appeal of glitz while also keeping the scrappy, low-to-the-ground quality that made the original so charming, including an awesome use of Arthur’s long-suffering aide-de-camp Patsy (Aaron Choi) and his coconuts used to salve Arthur’s ego in more ways than implying horses.

    The disjointed structure does not work as well on stage as in the film – some sequences, particularly the French castle and the shorehorning-in of Life of Brian‘s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” leached of its bitter irony, feel long. But the production keeps everything moving at a pace that makes the two and a half hour running time feel short while still highlighting its terrific performances. Aaron Choi’s Patsy feels three dimensional in a way I didn’t expect and even gets at some real pathos, but not so long he bogs anything down. Nathan Robert Pecchia’s vain, sarcastic Galahad equips the “voice of reason” in the face of this whirlpool of lunacy with acid-dipped knives, and Ryan Kopycinski’s Sir Belvedere makes the most out of every minute he has on stage.

    Danielle Grays as the Lady of the Lake, center, welcomes Nathan Pecchia as Sir Galahad while nymphs Olivia Ward, Maggie Prosser and Heidi Kok hold her train in the Short North Stage production of “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” Photo by Adam Zeek.
    Danielle Grays as the Lady of the Lake, center, welcomes Nathan Pecchia as Sir Galahad while nymphs Olivia Ward, Maggie Prosser and Heidi Kok hold her train in the Short North Stage production of “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” Photo by Adam Zeek.

    Browning understands Arthur as a blowhard half-baffled when he’s the butt of jokes but utterly confident in his place as the hero and the center; it’s a great performance that nods at the great Graham Chapman original but is never indebted to it. Nick Lingnofski’s Sir Robin starts at an advantage with the funniest song in the show, but his fresh, never-self-aware Peter Frampton take is a delight as he leans into the character’s ridiculousness with childlike determination. Danielle Grays’ Lady of the Lake shoulders most of the Broadway nods – “Every show has a song that starts like this…” – and levels them like a bomb. Her razor-sharp mid-period Diana Ross, both solo and playing off Browning’s late period not-giving-a-damn Dean Martin, is the highlight of the “Knights of the Roundtable ” number and everything comes a little more to life when she’s on stage.

    If you have a fondness for Monty Python, whether you saw Spamalot on Broadway or touring or you haven’t seen any of the movies or TV shows in 15 years like yours truly, this is a must-see. If you aren’t as keen on Python, some of the laughter at the beginning of scenes will be baffling, but you’ll still be rewarded with a brilliantly acted, sung, and danced production.

    Danielle Grays as the Lady of the Lake, center, belts a song with Tim Browning as King Arthur and the Ensemble in the Short North Stage production of “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” Photo by Adam Zeek.
    Danielle Grays as the Lady of the Lake, center, belts a song with Tim Browning as King Arthur and the Ensemble in the Short North Stage production of “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” Photo by Adam Zeek.

    Monty Python’s Spamalot runs through April 15 with shows at 8:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3:00 p.m. Sunday with an additional 2:00 p.m. matinee on April 15. For tickets and more info, visit shortnorthstage.org.

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    Richard Sanford
    Richard Sanfordhttp://sanfordspeaks.blogspot.com/
    Richard Sanford is a freelance contributor to Columbus Underground covering the city's vibrant theatre scene. You can find him seeking inspiration at a variety of bars, concert halls, performance spaces, museums and galleries.
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