Ahhh, social distancing. I did not expect to be enjoying isolation from others and getting to stay at home so much. But if you're not a hard-core introvert like me, I hope you are doing well at home and are staying safe and taking care of yourself. My bother of a brother is not enjoying this as much as me. He's a polar opposite of me and is currently dying inside his room, wishing to be outside with his neighbor friends. As I was sitting down thinking about what to write for this week's blog (since I haven't seen a show since the quarantine began), I saw a rare glimpse of my brother that gave me the inspiration for this week's blog. A while ago, my family took a trip up to Chicago, and we decided to see the show Spamalot just for the fun of it. My brother is not a musical person, but I can hear him playing "Always Look on The Bright Side of Life" from that musical and he's SINGING ALONG. WHO IS THIS BOY? Anyways, it made me realize I haven't written a blog about this awesome musical, so sit back and relax as we travel to the not-so-great version of England.
We watched this hilarious musical at the Mercury Theater, a lesser-known stage right by Lincoln Park. I love visiting older theaters and escaping the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago. Plus, we got to try a new deep dish pizza place along the way! The theater itself was kinda tiny, but the neighborhood surrounding it was super nice and busy. As soon as we walked through the doors, a man with a crazy fake mustache greeted us in character and gave us coconut shells ( that'll make sense later I promise). The hallways were pretty tiny, and it definitely wasn't a five-star snack bar, but you could tell that people cared about this place. Charming places like this are hard to find nowadays.
For those of you who are not familiar with Spamalot, it is a comedic musical adapted from the famous movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If you haven't seen that iconic movie, then go right now onto Netflix and add it to your list. I promise you, I won't let you down, and neither will this musical. Like the motion picture, Spamalot is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian legend, but it differs from the film in many ways. King Arthur, the self-proclaimed king of England, travels across the land to find members for his Round Table. With hilarious quips and many rude French people, anyone can go see this fun show and enjoy all of the jokes this show brings.
Now, I may not be the funniest person in the world (or the most mature for my jokes), but there was at least one joke that got each member of my family to start to collapse in their chairs. Being able to appeal to all audiences is a super rare thing to have in a show. I'm also glad that this musical was interactive. Every time King Arthur's knights rode off to their next location, everyone was encouraged to hit their coconut shells together to sound like a horse galloping. Also, one lucky member of the audience came on stage, because under their seat was the Holy Grail! then, the knights sang an improv song about the hero of the Holy Grail and gave him/her a special diploma to become a knight. Here are some of my favorite lines from this show just to show you the comedic genius behind Spamalot:
Arthur: God be praised. We have a quest: to find the grail!
Sir Robin: The quail!
Arthur: No, the grail. The vessel used at the last supper.
Sir Robin: They had a boat at the last supper? Was it a sort of dinner cruise?
Sir Galahad: The grail is a cup.
Sir Robin: God the almighty and all-knowing has misplaced a cup?
Arthur: Have you heard of this Broadway?
Robin: Yes Sire, and we don't stand a chance there.
Sir Lancelot: [talking about gay marriage] Just think Herbert. In a thousand years' time, this will still be controversial.
Patsy: I'm Jewish!
Arthur: What? Why didn't you say so?
Patsy: Well... it's not the sort of thing you say in front of a heavily armed Christian.
Please, please, PLEASE watch this musical. I know we can't leave our houses yet, but I highly recommend scouting this out the next time you go to Chicago. You can also watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Netflix and see the amazingness of the Monty Python series. Check out other shows at the Mercury Theater here, and read more about Spamalot here. Stay safe!