Python alive and well at BTG
by Christopher Key
Those of us who are of a certain…ahem…vintage got our minds
taken over back in the day by an insidious import from Britain that turned us
into screaming idiots. No, I’m not
referring to The Beatles, but to a far more subversive phenomenon known as
Monty Python. There are no 12-step
programs for this addiction and you can now see its helpless victims lying in
the gutters near the Bellingham Theatre Guild, giggling helplessly.
That’s because the BTG occasionally grows a pair and gives
us something with a little more substance than the standard musical canon. Spamalot
is not that show. It’s something far
more ridiculous. It’s ribald,
blasphemous and veddy veddy British. It’s
the kind of show that Republican politicians point to with scorn when
denouncing the sorry state of the Republic.
If that doesn’t get you in the doors, you need a humor transplant.
Director Earl Reid has assembled a completely loony cast of
characters to help him retell the Arthurian legend as if it was a reality show
starring Kardashians, Trumps and Palins (none of whom are related to
Michael). To give credit where credit is
don’t, Reid gets a lot of help from a script written by Original Python Eric
Idle. Further, deponent sayeth not. Except to mention that this cast and crew
will leave you in need of a truss and some serious anti-psychotics.
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| Photo credit - David Cohn |
Brian Francis leads the way as the thoroughly befuddled King
Arthur who can’t understand why no one will buy into his whole Camelot
thing. Riding an invisible horse whose
hoofbeats are created with cocoanut shells may have something to do with
it.
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| Photo credit - David Cohn |
Longtime BTG hanger-on Jeffrey Stiglitz has been hiding his
clip-clopping talents far too long and finally gets his moment in the spotlight. He plays Patsy, sort of an Arthurian Sancho
Panza, and a star is born. Or at least a
dwarf planet.
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| Photo credit - David Cohn |
Alycia Hendrickson is thoroughly naughty as Arthur’s Lady of
the Lake and her amazing voice sends the neighborhood dogs into ecstasy, while
occasionally bringing down small planes and the stray NSA drone.
Given that Arthur is a delusional megalomaniac, it should
come as no surprise that the knights he collects for his roundtable are not
exactly the crème de la crème. Lancelot,
in this version, is a large echo on the gaydar screen. Choji Yamamoto is simply exquisite in the
role.
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| Photo Credit - David Cohn |
He’s obviously not interested in Guinevere, but there is a
certain Prince named Herbert whose passion for breaking into song at
inappropriate moments reminds us of why musicals are not considered high
art. Will Crow nearly steals the show as
the dreamy Herbert.
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| Photo credit - David Cohn |
Speaking of stealing the show brings us to the brilliant
Nicole Winkler, whose take on the French Taunter and leader of the Knights Who
Say Nih (or Ne, depending on the translation) reminds me of certain
surgeons. She’ll leave you in stitches.
Sir Robin, who is something of an anal-expulsive, brings
cowardice to a whole new level and is portrayed perfectly by Steve Guntli. The trio that sings of his pusillanimity will
make you yellow with envy.
Frankly, I could go on for at least two or three more
sentences extolling a marvelously manic cast, but some of the techies are
friends of mine and I’d better mention them.
Russ Nelson designed the fortifications, built stone-by-stone by Joe
Super and his master crew.
Dee Dee O’Connor lights up everybody’s life and Ryan
Goelzenleuchter is responsible for the often embarrassing sounds, along with
some truly epic special effects. Only
choreographer Kat Riehl could make the knights tap dance in such
synchrony. Aubrey Kornelis is to blame
for the evocative costumes. Deb Manley
leads a talented band and makes the music another character in the show.
Spamalot plays
September 25 through October 11 at the BTG Playhouse, 1600 H Street. This is a sure sellout, so order your tickets
now by calling (360) 733-1811. The box
office is open Tuesday – Saturday 1:00 – 6:00 p.m.
I don’t know about you, but I whistled along with “Look on
the Bright Side of Life.”
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