The cast of “Spamalot”
(Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
The North American tour of Monty Python’s Spamalot, a very silly take on the Arthurian legend, will launch at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio next winter. The tour will tech in Cleveland and begin performances on December 1.
Book writer, lyricist and Monty Python alum Eric Idle said in a statement, “I am thrilled that Spamalot will start its North American journey in Cleveland, where I was once thrown out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for suggesting that The Rutles should be inducted. We look forward to jumpstarting the holiday season with spectacle, joy and, of course, laughs… and continuing the hilarity in every city throughout the country.”
The tour will travel to more than 30 cities in its first year including Cleveland; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; San Francisco; Seattle; Denver; Atlanta; Dallas; New Orleans; St. Louis; Houston; Ft. Worth; Charlotte; Schenectady; St. Paul, Greenville; Rochester; Milwaukee; Hartford; and Costa Mesa with more cities to be announced soon. Casting will be announced this fall.
Josh Rhodes, who directed the 2023 Broadway revival, returns to direct and choreograph on tour. The creative team includes scenic and projection design by Paul Tate dePoo III, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Cory Pattak, sound design by Kai Harada and Haley Parcher, wig design by Tom Watson and music supervision by John Bell.
Spamalot is a loving ripoff of the film classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, featuring flying cows, killer rabbits, British royalty, French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, a watery tart and the song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” The original 2005 Broadway production was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won three including Best Musical.
