Just Enough Spam - Notes on SPAMALOT!

I saw this tour of the Tony-winning musical (written by Eric Idle) in Fort Worth last month with my un-Python-initiated 12-year-old. I LOVED it. She LOVED it and spent the drive home running down all her favorite parts. We’re still saying “I’m not dead yet” around the house. I’m so proud.

Based on the iconic and severely underbudgeted film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, we join King Arthur, Brave Sir Robin, Lancelot, Gawain, and Patsy’s coconuts on their (now musical) quest as they battle some VERY rude Frenchmen, Knights Who Say That Word I’d Rather Not Mention, Tim the Enchanter, killer rabbits, Dennis, a very optimistic Black Knight, a VERY doomed wedding party, and more Spam than you can slap a fish at.

Sure, the plot is wafer-thin, but that’s the point. All the favorite bits are here, and you can quote right along with the cast until they suddenly razzle-dazzle you with huge, fresh, hilarious musical numbers that flow seamlessly out of the beloved source material. And there are a few fun surprises along the way that are about as expected as the Spanish Inquisition. The cast is top-notch, say no more, say no more, and they joyously rampage through an hour and a half of some of the silliest things you will ever see on a stage.

As a Python fan, a comedy lover, and a comedy writer, I was deeply satisfied. And I was especially glad I brought someone who was experiencing every joke and bit for the first time. It made for a REALLY enjoyable evening. I love escaping into something totally frivolous and fun, and this show absolutely did the trick.

And let’s not forget Dallas’ connection to the legendary comedy troupe. Long before streaming, TikTok trends, or people arguing online about whether a hot dog is a sandwich (an argument is not the same as contradiction!), Monty Python’s Flying Circus first began confusing the heck out of American audiences right here in Dallas.

In the mid-1970s, local PBS station KERA took a chance on a strange British comedy show featuring dead parrots, Hell’s Grannies, and people deeply committed to putting things on top of other things. Dallas viewers were among the first Americans to ask, “What in the world is this?” followed quickly by, “When is it on again?” From there, the Pythons spread across the country like marauding Spam Vikings. How’s that for a deep cut?

So, friends, I implore you: don’t be a twit and sit around pining for fjords! Stop your doomscrolling and trade the maddening absurdities of the real world for the charming absurdities of a high-flying circus of mad-cap musical silliness. Go out (to the Winspear Opera House, the perfect venue to see big, splashy musicals) and guffaw with your fellow humans. It’ll feel good. 

Nudge, nudge…Learn more and get your tickets here!