Theater: Monty Python s Spamalot

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Spamalot, partially written by original Python Eric Idle, is Mel Brooks' "The Producers" taken to another level. For those who don?t know the plot of the film, "Spamalot" covers the journey of King Arthur (Tim Curry) as he journeys to find the Holy Grail. Arthur, journeying with his servant Patsy (Michael McGrath) recruits several knights to accompany him on his quest. Along the way, we meet the Lady of the Lake (the amazing Sara Ramirez) and a host of other odd characters, including The French Taunter (Hank Azaria), Prince Herbert (Christian Borle) and Tim the Enchanter (Azaria again). Over it all comes the voice of God in the person of John Cleese.

As in the film, most of the actors play multiple roles, and the cult status that "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" has achieved only adds to "Spamalot's" success. The show stays quite faithful to the film, so much so that as the famous scenes are approaching (such as the Brave Sir Robin song), you can hear the audience start to laugh in anticipation. "Spamalot's" music is a mixture of new music as well as music from?"Holy Grail," and "Life of Brian."

Directed by Mike Nichols, "Spamalot" is bound to be an instant hit when it reaches New York. Nichols infuses the show with a sense of wacky fun that never feels forced. The production design is impressive: Tim Hatley's set and costume design, complete with the trademark Python animation, serves as the perfect canvas for the show, and Hugh Vanstone's lighting completes the picture perfectly.

Curry, as King Arthur, David Hyde Pierce and Azaria (both playing multiple roles) are perfect, as are Borle, McGrath and Christopher Sieber. The real breakout performance in "Spamalot," however, is that of Ramirez, as the Lady of the Lake, et al. Her vocal and acting range are astonishing, and she is likely to get a lot of attention once the show opens in New York.

The Monty Python crew may well have discovered the Holy Grail of Broadway - a hit show. The new production Spamalot, which opened Thursday night at the Shubert Theater, is drawing rave reviews. The Associated Press calls it "aggressively antic," while Variety liked its "brash, lunatic spirit." Monty Python alumnus Eric Idle wrote the story and lyrics, and Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and David Hyde Pierce are in the cast.

The show is based on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail and preserves some of its best-loved conceits, including the knight who said "Ni," the killer rabbit and head-banging monks. The Python lovers in the audience were laughing even before cast members got to deliver their lines. But there was plenty for Python neophytes as well in this show, directed at an antic pace by Mike Nichols.

One new twist, and the excuse for the music, is that King Arthur and the knights must produce a musical in order to fulfill their quest. Like The Producers, Spamalot sends up those cliches so dear to the hearts of those who love musical comedy. In Act 1, there's a spoof of Las Vegas revues that features some gloriously tacky dance routines by the show's promising choreographer, Casey Nicholaw.

It's an ensemble cast and everyone gets to shine, but Sara Ramirez and Christopher Sieber as the pompous Sir Galahad drew special mention. Critics are predicting the musical could be as big as The Producers. Although they were unanimous in predicting success, some reviewers carped that Spamalot covered little new ground. "Perhaps if I didn't know their sketches by heart, I might have been more charmed by this incarnation," said the New York Daily News.

The New York Times praised the show as "resplendently silly," but said that the straight-faced irreverence of the Python crew doesn't always translate well to the Broadway stage.

Most reviewers and the opening night audience, which included many former Python stars, were caught up in the infectious enthusiasm of the production.