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Monty Python's Spamalot Musical Gets Cast
Frisky070802 writes "Slashdot reported last fall that a musical version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail was in the works for Broadway. A new CNN article talks about the latest news, including casting (Hank Azaria and Tim Curry, as well as David Hyde Pierce of Frasier fame as Sir Robin!) and scheduling. And, oh yeah, it was Spamalot after all.... not Spamelot as the last Slashdot article claimed. Watch for previews late this year and Broadway next spring."
That's just we all needed. As if a bunch of nerds quoting monty python if high pitched shrill nasal voices, followed by raucous laughter wasn't bad enough, now they'll be singing it.
--
The last digit of pi is four.
I was going to read the article, but then I got a grip on reality, and I though otherwise.
Oh great, the last thing we need are frenchmen singing off key insults at people.
On the other hand, i've always wondered what the witch burning part would be like in song.
Guess it all depends on if it is an european thunderbird or an african thunderbird..
Nobody expects the spanish inquisition!
*shrug* I didn't find American Pie the slightest bit funny and had people laughing all around me on the flight I watched it on, just differences in senses of humour.
That is, without doubt, the most gratuitous exclamation mark I have ever seen.
I love Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I also hate broadway.
That said, I don't know if this will make me like broadway more or the Holy Grail less.
I think I will just opt to read the reviews and just tell everyone I heard of it and was thinking of watching but I haven't had the time yet.
The preceding message was based on actual events. Only the names, locations and events have been changed.
You found Benny Hill funny.
"Lets not make that musical" "you're right, broadway is a silly place"
I will agree that the films themselves may not be all that funny at the time, personally I find them boring mostly. What really makes Monty Python funny is when people quote it later on, it brings a group closer when you all remember a little bit of a Monty Python skit...even if you've never actually *seen* it before.
For some reason I see the same thing happening with other humour sources such as Futurama (all rise for a moments silence...), The Simpsons and HHGTTG. They all seem funnier when quoted later on, generally the more random and out of context the quote the funnier it seems.
Don't steal our history chaps, try and make some of your own.
...the "and no singing!!" sequence?!
You obviously haven't seen Wet Hot American Summer. Watch that movie to the end, and you'll understand why he'd be perfect for anything Monty Python related.
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
those are completely different types of humor ... while the circus-clown like humor of Benny Hill exercises your face and stomac muscles, watching a Monthy Python movie could be an exhausting but quite rewarding activity for your brain .. i find them both appealing and high-quality
"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Those are different things -
There's no particular reason why you should like one just because it's authors are from the same geography as the other.
Otherwise if you like Matt Groening's cartoons, you'd have to like Tonya Harding's work too.
Sponsored by spam.
Seriously, I wonder if this might hurt the company's meaty feelings.
Hack your mind out of its sandbox.
That would make sense. I'm British, and prefer off-the-wall British humour to American in most cases (honourable exceptions of the Simpsons, Frazier, South Park etc).
But I can't stand Benny Hill.
Yay! Jim Carrey! Oh wait... Tim Curry.
"I used to have that really cool,funny sig
That explains a lot...
Every bloody emperor has his hand up history's skirt [Peter Hammill/VdGG]
Certain types of humour require a higher level of intelligence and cultural sophistication to appreciate. Benny Hill doesn't. Monty Python does.
Elitist, snobby comment? Probably. But is it true?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Dark Knights!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Dark Knights!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Dark Knights!
Heroes and a crack king, Python-Power!
They're the Camelot's fearsome fighting team!
They're heroes on a mock horse and they're green!
When the evil Frenchmen attack
These Arthur boys will never say "Ni!"
Pet peeve: Profane people propagating perfunctory pedantry.
I haven't seen American Pie but I can't see myself finding overtly sexual humour actually funny. I remember sitting through There's Something About Mary and the only time I laughed was when the singing guy got shot.
Also recently when I was watching Old School with a bunch of mates the only time I laughed was when the blow job instructor mentioned something about "sucking on the teet of Remus, if you know your Greek mythology"...No one else got it, am I just that weird?
No William Shatner??
Funny that the only Remus I ever heard of was in Roman Mythology not Greek. Perhaps someone is not as culturally sophisticated as they thought.
Not just Python nerds, but Curry will bring the Rocky Horror Nerds and Azaria will bring the Simpsons Nerds.
Heck, if they can find a role for Brent Spiner (he's done broadway before), then I think we've got ourselves a geek's wet dream live on stage.
"Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine No Posessions?'" -- Elvis Costello
You mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!
Ni!
Ecky-ecky-ptang-zweet-zooom-POW!
I had an imaginary sig once, he said I was a loser and ran off.
And while we're waiting for the broadway version, why not enjoy the lego version
The belief in a biblical god is an ignorant one
Nah, I'm English and I like monty python, but not benny hill. But sophistication? Bollocks to that. Monty Python films are not funny because they're 'sophisticated' and because the uncultured plebs can't understand them, they're funny because they're well written. I very much doubt that they were made so the intelligent overlords could worship them and look down on the people who didn't like them. For fucks sake, if someone doesn't like them they just don't, it's not because you're more intelligent than them.
Why can't people just see the films as a source of enjoyment rather than a weapon to put people down who don't agree with you?
I think you mean the PFJ.
The PFJ was the people's Front of Judea.
Then there was the Judean People's Front.
And the Popular Front of Judea? That's him sitting over there...
When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
Dunno about this one - Broadway tickets are pretty expensive, and it makes us a pawn of the LATP every time we go to the theatre. I think I'll just wait and download a CAM version off Torrent.
When you have nothing left to burn you must set yourself on fire
It might be very very bad. It might be good, but then again, it might be very very very bad. It almost certainly won't be great.
The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Monty Python, "In French" - a brilliant show at the Fringe Festival 2003, which was basically Monty Python sketches performed to a UK audience. But in French. I believe it got the blessing of the Pythons themselves...
I see it as a good match. Sir Robin is a weasely coward. As I recall, his "shut up"s are more of the whiney, "come on guys, stop picking on me" nature.
Basically what I was trying to say is that I've quoted Monty Python stuff that I've heard from other people without having seen the original.
I can't verify it, I think the bit in quotes is ... you guessed it, a quote!
So, thats not this guys opinion, the error I think is the point: the guy found the quote funny because it's a factual error stated in an authoratitive manner.
Like a guy trying to convince you he knows electronics saying "yeah, see those two pinned cylinders, they're called MOSFETs". Some would find this funny, maybe.
I remember Tim Curry as the butler in the movie Clue. Somehow I love that movie dearly while my friends mainly, erm, don't.
The body!
What body?
Body's body!
It's gone!
How can you not love that?
I have suffered from being misunderstood, but I would have suffered a hell of a lot more if I had been understood.
Sir Robin's theme (MIDI) Keep in mind that (a) Sir Robin never told the bards to shut up with any degree of conviction. The only time he approaches conviction is when he's berating Tim the Enchanter (just before the rabbit strikes). (b) It won't be Dr. Niles Crane playing Sir Robin, but David Hyde Pierce. I expect he can manage to play different characters from time to time. :)
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
> Idle wrote the book for the new musical and collaborated on the music and lyrics with John Du Prez, whose film scores include the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series and the hit, "A Fish Called Wanda." So he's either a genius who wrote the score for the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series or that bastard that wrote the new score...
CowsAnonymous: We're here to help moo.
You're a geek, you're not supposed to get it. (wink-wink, nudge-nudge)
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Well, absolutely, and what makes it worse, sometimes at the end of a sentence I'll come out with entirely the wrong fusebox. And the thing about saying the wrong word is a) I don't notice it, and b) orange water given bucket of plaster.
Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
-- Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
Mixing Monty Python with Broadway?
I have this mental picture of the Comic Book Guy arguing plot points with the Queer Eye guys.
"Worst. Musical. Ever."
We're the Knights of the Round Table, We dance whene'er we're able, We do routines and chorus scenes And foot work im-pecc-able We dine well here in Camelot We eat ham and jam and spam a lot. We're the Knights of the Round Table Our shows are formidable But many times we're given rhymes That are quite un-sing-able We're opera mad in Camelot We sing from the diaphragm-a-lot In war we're tough and able Quite indefatigable Between our quests we sequin vests And impersonate Clark Gable It's a busy life in Camelot I have to push the pram a lot
I reckon you've hit the nail on the head. Python is funny because it's so silly, so unexpected, so against the grain that you just can't help laughing at even the simplest things... it sounds like psychological mumbo-jumbo, but it taps in to children of all ages. I used to laugh at the French taunter when I was 6, and I still do!
Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
-- Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
We're the Knights of the Round Table,
We dance whene'er we're able,
We do routines and chorus scenes
And foot work im-pecc-able
We dine well here in Camelot
We eat ham and jam and spam a lot.
We're the Knights of the Round Table
Our shows are formidable
But many times we're given rhymes
That are quite un-sing-able
We're opera mad in Camelot
We sing from the diaphragm-a-lot
In war we're tough and able
Quite indefatigable
Between our quests we sequin vests
And impersonate Clark Gable
It's a busy life in Camelot
I have to push the pram a lot
Just one leetle musical.
Its only waafer thin..
(explodes)
"You lied to me! There is a Swansea!"
(Stabs self)
Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
You're not alone. I've watched Python through the years with various friends and family members, and most of them found it either just slightly funny, or downright boring.
Python never had an especially broad appeal. I think the remarkable thing about their comedy is how well it's held up over time. Most funny stuff wears out its welcome pretty quickly - heard anyone say "Let's get small!" lately? How about "I'm Gumby, damnit!"? Most comedy doesn't even get it's federally mandated 15 minutes of fame before it's swept out the door. The fact that people are still quoting Python 30 years later, and laughing about it, is just kinda mind-boggling.
I am NOT a man!
I am a free number!
David Hyde Pierce != Niles Crane
I mean, yes, he did play the character of Niles, but I think that's as far as it goes. DHP hasn't really been seen in many roles that allow him a great deal of flexibility, so I have to suppose that there's depth to his acting ability beyond the "'pinstripe' conviction" for which Niles was notorious.
I mean, hell... look at Wil Wheaton. You can't exactly judge the guy based on Wesley Crusher. I say, give the guy a chance.
---
"Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of"-TMBG
We can't be original, we aren't popular enough to be different.
How cool is it going to be when they launch the cow into the audience!
---- "Logoff! That cookie shit makes me nervous!" - A. Soprano
Bloody Splitters!
Don't you oppress me!
The only reason we have the rights we have is that people just like us died to gain those rights. -- Cheerio Boy
It might be very very insightful. It might be shallow, but then again, it might be very very very insightful. It almost certainly won't be dense.
The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
Sadly, I have paraphrased both of your examples within the past week. However, your point is a good one. Not only has MP held up over time, but most people who enjoy it don't seem to mind watching again and again...
But you must see Holy Grail in the original Klingon.
Certain types of humour require a higher level of intelligence and cultural sophistication to appreciate.
Death-"I am death"
Englishman-"Well, come on in Mr Death"
That's sophistication? It's just not funny.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
Clove cigarette - check; nostalgic reminder of my early youth in a coffeehouse. (Plus I never developed a taste for any regular tobacco brand except Silk Cut, which isn't available in the US anymore.)
iPod - working on it.
Sorry; what was the point again? Oh yeah; the "Effete Ignorant Snob" stereotype.
Anyway, I don't know what the original poster has against "Broadway". I do know that some people hear the word and have an instant mental vision of flashy, bubbly, sugary musicals with lots of tinsel and feathers. (And just barely enough of a storyline to hold the music together.) If such fare isn't their thing, it's probably quite easy for them to dismiss "Broadway" as a whole and ignore the many other works which have graced that street: Equus, 'Night, Mother, Angels in America, Wit - to name but a few.
It might be more accurate for the OP to say that he has a low tolerance for schmaltz. Quite understandable, and defendable, as there are many circa 30s and 40s musicals out there which are sugary enough to cause acute diabetes. And let's face it, Sturgeon's Law is applicable to many areas besides science fiction, even if the 90% of everything that is crap can be rather subjective. (Brain candy movies and books are the examples that spring to mind; I enjoy a good potboiler now and then. They're fun.) One person's crap is another person's proudly displayed black velvet Elvis painting.
All that aside, I've got high hopes for this production. David Hyde Pierce's facial expressions alone ought to be worth the ticket price. Throwing Tim Curry into the mix just improves the chances that the Monty Python troupe will be very proud of their legacy.
/me starts looking for cheap airfare to NYC...
Doing my level best to piss off the religious right wing...
"A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
in my life God comes first.... but Linux is pretty high after that
Francis Smit
Front Populaire Judea perhaps?
What a long, strange trip it's been.