Spamalot

How do you solve a problem like MONTY PYTHON? How do you rip off those well- known sketches for a Broadway musical? That is what Python creator Eric Idle and that comic genius Mike Nichols have done and with such bravado that SPAMALOT itself is the joyous story of its own creation.

It’s based, of course, on that popular British comedy in which the knights of King Arthur’s court search for the Holy Grail or as they say, the grail within themselves. Only in this musical adaptation they recognize that their quest can only be fulfilled by getting their act on Broadway. Here, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is more essential to the case than THE LAST SUPPER. So in the spirit of 50's musicals which this escapade both imitates and satirizes they go off to round up the Jews that will make their show a Broadway smash hit.

And what a foppish crew they are. David Hyde Pierce for one is so understated as Robin that one realizes that he thinks not with his sword. This issue is addressed early on in Act I in the knights rendition of the Marine Corps song with lyrics, "We’re off to war. We’re not yet dead."

More outrageous is Hank Azaria’s Lancelot, especially when he explodes into his BOY FROM OZ number "My Name Is Lancelot" accompanied by dancing boys in stretch pants and Carmen Mirenda hats. Speaking of Oz, of course, nothing’s been left out including one very seductive and voluptuous actress Sara Ramirez who makes her debut here as The Lady of the Lake. Later as the knights near their destination, she evokes the reassuring and saccharin Good Witch of the West. Still more persistent fun is made of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s drippy romantic musicals. Kudos to lyricist, Eric Idle who’s unearthed such unwieldy rhymes as "Come with me, I’ll show you how" to which Sir Galahad replies "Oh wow".

To his credit, Choreographer Casey Nicholaw keeps the dance numbers on par with the high school auditorium style sets for this most expensive Broadway production. And the musical message "look on the bright side of life" as sung to John De Prez’s cheerful elevator music, receives a multitude of repetitions.

That’s This Week on Broadway. I’m Isa Goldberg.