Geva's Spamalot

I was lucky enough to see the original show on Broadway ten years ago, starring David Hyde Pierce, Sara Ramirez, and Tim Curry. I remember liking it so much I would have loved to have seen it twice. But the exorbitant cost of a Broadway ticket deterred me. The great thing about Geva is that the tickets are so inexpensive that I was happy to see it not just once, with my husband, but a second time, with my friend Jan.

If you are a Monty Python fan, and phrases like “I told them we already got one” and “it’s just a flesh wound” make their way into your own conversations, you won’t want to miss this hysterical musical adaptation of the Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie. And even if you’re not familiar with the movie’s humor, it’s an enjoyable romp.

One of the gripes I had with the original musical is a result of the Monty Python comedy group itself, which was all male. The musical introduced a leading female role, the Lady of the Lake, and her songs satirize her absence in the main plot. Sara Ramirez stole the show in this role, for which she won a Tony. Ashley Dawn Mortensen doesn’t disappoint as the Lady of the Lake in Geva’s production. Perhaps in an effort to correct this lack of female characters, Director Melissa Rain Anderson has creatively cast a woman – frequent Geva performer and Rochesterian, the talented Jennifer Cody – as Patsy and Guard #2. She partners well with real-life husband Hunter Foster (brother of the Broadway star Sutton Foster) as King Arthur.

Spamalot is playing to record Geva audiences, and most shows are at or near capacity. Unlike a hit Broadway show, which can be extended indefinitely, Spamalot in Rochester must end on October 11, to make way for the next show in the subscription series, John Logan’s riveting Red. So see it soon, if you can.

For more information, visit Geva’s website: http://www.gevatheatre.org