Dakota Ridge is bringing the musical Spamalot to its theatre, opening on March 7, 2024. Directed by theatre and stage design teacher James Young, Young hopes to capture the feeling of the Broadway production. Nevertheless, he invites his students to adapt it and make it their own.
Young describes the show as “feeling like it could go off the rails at any moment…but it never actually does.”
So far, according to the DRHS drama council, show production is going well. Orchestra members will be playing live music as the show’s soundtrack. Tech crews, such as costumes, makeup, sound, and lighting, are preparing needed supplies. The set is also currently being built.
Beginning in 1969, Monty Python (collectively referred to as The Pythons) was a comedy group known for its hilarious and captivating skits in the show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and in several movies, such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In 2005, a spinoff on the Holy Grail was produced, a musical known as Spamalot.
Opening on Broadway in 2005, Spamalot received 14 Tony awards, and was one of the eight musicals commemorated in Royal Mail stamps.
As an adaptation of the movie, the show was heavily designed around improvised elements. Many elements, such as dance patterns or lines are entirely improvised.
The Broadway performance was originally directed by Mike Nichols. It ran for 1,575 performances and grossed over $175 million dollars. Tim Curry starred as King Arthur for both the original Broadway shows as well as the West End productions of Spamalot.
Young is looking forward to the DRHS production, and describes the show as “very slapstick” and “silly.”
Tickets are on currently on sale, and Spamalot will be performed by the DRHS Theatre Company on March 7 and 8, 2024, at 7 p.m. and March 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
