Choreography Excels In This Daffy Delight!
Reviewed by Tom Jones
October 29, 2017
Life isn’t easy in 932 A. D. for King Arthur in England. He is trying to round up a group of gallant and valiant men to serve as knights for his round table. Trouble is, not many people have even heard of this Arthur chap, and the French are outright hostile to him.
Charlie Ferrie is in fine form as the befuddled king. He IS in command, but can’t seem to easily round up followers. Except for his ever-faithful “trotting” servant, “Patsy.” Dan Tschirhart is a standout as the not terribly bright aid-de-camp whose primary role to knock coconuts together to create the sound of trotting horses. Tschirhart never loses character, even when the thoughtless king ignores his presence while trying to get sympathy with “I’m All Alone.”
While the local citizens aren’t eager to go to war, or to search for the Holy Grail, they are amazingly willing to sing and dance! The dancing is terrific. The “Laker Girls” cheerleading the knights, “His Name is Lancelot,” and “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” are all show-stopping routines. Choreographer Cole Emarine even includes a clever Jewish folklore “bottle dance” with Grail Goblets atop each dancer.
Direction of the continually-delightful mayhem is by Emelie Borello, with music direction by Joseph Perron.
In 1975 The Monty Python Comedy Group (including Eric Idle) created the movie, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It immediately became a worldwide favorite and developed a cult following — the group that I refer to as “Pythonites.” Idle expanded the movie’s idea, writing book and lyrics for the 2005 musical “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” Clever bits of the movie have become comedy standards. Many of them turn up on the Fort Collins stage. Some work brilliantly, others not so well.
Stage highlights include the creation of the Trojan Horse in the shape of a large rabbit that the knights forget to enter before placing it into a local castle. Then there is the incredibly mean rabbit who tears anyone to shreds who dares challenge him. The highwayman challenging the knights loses his arms and legs to King Arthurs’s men, noting with each limb-severing blow, “merely a flesh wound.”
And the goofy Knights Who Say Ni, who request a bit of shrubbery (with their virtually incomprehensible language) before anyone can continue the trail. Language is one of the few problems with the OpenStage production. From the welcome to the show through much of the dialogue emitting from the tops of castles the audience is often in a bewildered state of wondering just what is going on. Fortunately, the audience was packed with Monty Python fans (my “Pythonites”) who seemed to catch every nuance of craziness.
In addition to King Arthur and his ever-trotting servant, Patsy, another creative wonder is Kiernan Angley’s performance of Sir Lancelot. The role is just one played by versatile Angley. One moment he is the gay Sir Lancelot. The next moment he becomes a French Taunter, a Knight of Ni, or Tim the Enchanter. He is extremely masculine-heroic one moment, a fey delight, the next. Nikki Gibbs is the Lady of the Lake, the woman supposedly responsible for Arthur becoming the king. Gibbs is a very attractive addition to the scruffy crew, and is a good actress. She does not, however, have the raucous bravura of the desired diva. She sings her songs — doesn’t delightfully “belt” them.
Most of the performers play multiple roles, each with daffy-timing skills.
The 2005 “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” directed by Mike Nichols, received Tony Award for Best Musical. It has subsequently become a worldwide attraction. Currently on stage in Fort Collins, it is a brilliantly acted performance of non-stop lunacy, with only a modicum of sense. Just what we need right now.
“Monty Python’s Spamalot”
Where: OpenStage Theatre production, on the Magnolia Theatre Stage of Lincoln Center.
417 West Magnolia Street, Fort Collins.
When: Through November 25, 2017
Tickets: 970/221-6730
For more information: www.lctix.com