One of the problems with being my age in a time of remakes is that you can remember the original in all its freshness and vitality and the remake suffers in comparison with that memory. So it is with Spamalot.
The award winning musical, for those who don’t follow such things, proudly proclaims itself to have been “ripped off” from the film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” I remember going to see that film during its original release and laughing myself silly. It was bright, subversive, and most of all, funny. The Pythons, having worked and developed a comic style together for years, presented the original material with a natural ease that was delightful to see. And, being a film, the “Holy Grail” had the advantage of editing to present the material in its best form. Seeing the same material re-enacted on stage by a group of mostly American actors – well, it just isn’t the same. The timing was off, the gestures and intonations not quite right, the effect produced was that of reflection, not amusement, and in a comedy presentation that is fatal. I was particularly disturbed by the inclusion, for no apparent reason, of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from “The Life of Brian.” In its original context [crucifixion] the song was hilariously incongruent. Here it wasn’t even mildly amusing and served only to awaken memories of a much superior earlier effort. It wasn’t a problem for most of the people I spoke with after the performance. They had never seen the original films, had only a vague idea of who or what Monty Python was, and to them the dialogue and satirical songs were fresh and funny. I envied them that experience of discovery.
This is not to say that all the material was recycled. There is new stuff, but it’s not very good. Early in the second act Spamalot suddenly lurches away from being an exercise in nostalgia and steals a riff from “Singin’ In the Rain.” Arthur, played by Tim Curry, is informed that his quest must take him to Broadway, and that becomes an excuse for inserting two long, unfunny, segments pandering to the two groups that are most closely identified with Broadway theatre – Jews and gays. To get to Broadway Arthur must find a Jew, and this occasions a series of references to other, specifically Jewish-themed, shows, as well as a few offensive anti-Christian comments. Then, in the second segment, Lancelot rescues a maiden only to find that she is a man and discovers that he himself is gay, whereupon the cast stages a gay review, extolling the glories of gayness.
By this point the show has completely abandoned all pretence to coherence, or to its original form as a parody of Arthurian legend, and instead has become a shotgun set of references to the Broadway milieu. The Lady of the Lake, played by Sara Ramirez, complains in a song that she is not being given enough stage time, lyrics are inserted into skits parodying other musicals, a wedding scene is inserted because romantic comedies always have to have a wedding, a song proclaims that a musical must always have “a song like this,” etc. For people who live within that milieu the effect must have been delightful. For someone like me, a film scholar who treks to
I should say something about the performances.
Ok! They were mostly adequate.
Tim Curry simply walks through his role as Arthur, flashing his trademark toothy grin. David Hyde Pierce was a no-show, and his understudy wasn’t too bad. The only standout was Miss Ramirez who possesses a remarkable vocal talent. She has a great voice, good range, and exhibits command of a number of musical idioms. Unfortunately several of these are often on display in a single song, or even a single line from a song. The intent seems to be to showcase her versatility and that it certainly does, but the songs themselves disappear into a welter of vocal pyrotechnics. I, for one, appreciate performers who are confident enough to suppress their egos to the point where they can perform a song the way it was written. Ultimately Miss Ramirez habit of overpowering her material doesn’t matter much because, to be honest, the songs are execrable. I can’t imagine anyone buying a CD of the soundtrack, although I’m sure some people must have – they were being hawked.
One more point regarding Miss Ramirez. She’s a beautiful and talented woman but she’s packin’ a lot of pounds, and it really shows in her tight costumes. I wouldn’t mention it except for the fact that it caused a lot of comment among the women in our party who were wondering if she was pregnant or just fat and in that way distracted from her performance.
I did not enjoy Spamalot, but many in the audience obviously did. Moreover, theatre critics overwhelmingly recommended it and it won lots of awards. I must be missing something here, or maybe…, [gulp], I’m just getting old.
...I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled...
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