Spamalot brings song, dance to Camelot and London
If you've ever debated whether
swallows can transport coconuts,
or found yourself in a chorus of
"NI!" then get ready for Monty
Python's story of the search for the
Holy Grail onstage at the John
Labatt Centre on October 27 and
28.
"It's literally for everyone," said Jacob Smith, who plays Sir Dennis Galahad, the Dashingly Handsome. "(The play) is a great way to get into the theatre genre."
Smith is rumoured to have beat out over 2,000 hopefuls to play Galahad in the touring production, he said. He attended the first open call in New York and received five callbacks. "I had to fight pretty hard to get (the part)," he said on the phone from Burlington, Vermont. "With every callback I felt more confident, I had to prove myself a little more each time."
While a Sir Galahad appears in the film, Spamalot's Sir Galahad is new to the Holy Grail search, said Smith. "He's a new recruit, (King) Arthur comes along and sees potential," he explained. But while Galahad excels in the looks department, he lacks intelligence. For example, when Arthur commands him to seek out the magical Lady in the Lake, Galahad thinks it's just a dead woman in a pond.
As for playing the comely knight, he remains modest. "I don't know what they were thinking with that, (but) it's a lot of fun to play around with, being dashingly handsome," he said. It helps that he wears a big blond wig that's very "romance-novel cover."
Fans of the film will be happy to know the play doesn't stray far from its key moments, like the black knight and Knights Who Say NI! The songs only add to the oddball adventure as they poke fun at Broadway and Andrew Lloyd Webber. "It all makes it so fun," said Smith. "We always say Spamalot is 'lovingly ripped off' from the movies."
If you want to check out Monty Python's zany Broadway comedy Spamalot, visit www.johnlabattcentre.com for tickets. Shows are on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 — both starting at 7:30 p.m.
"It's literally for everyone," said Jacob Smith, who plays Sir Dennis Galahad, the Dashingly Handsome. "(The play) is a great way to get into the theatre genre."
Smith is rumoured to have beat out over 2,000 hopefuls to play Galahad in the touring production, he said. He attended the first open call in New York and received five callbacks. "I had to fight pretty hard to get (the part)," he said on the phone from Burlington, Vermont. "With every callback I felt more confident, I had to prove myself a little more each time."
While a Sir Galahad appears in the film, Spamalot's Sir Galahad is new to the Holy Grail search, said Smith. "He's a new recruit, (King) Arthur comes along and sees potential," he explained. But while Galahad excels in the looks department, he lacks intelligence. For example, when Arthur commands him to seek out the magical Lady in the Lake, Galahad thinks it's just a dead woman in a pond.
As for playing the comely knight, he remains modest. "I don't know what they were thinking with that, (but) it's a lot of fun to play around with, being dashingly handsome," he said. It helps that he wears a big blond wig that's very "romance-novel cover."
Fans of the film will be happy to know the play doesn't stray far from its key moments, like the black knight and Knights Who Say NI! The songs only add to the oddball adventure as they poke fun at Broadway and Andrew Lloyd Webber. "It all makes it so fun," said Smith. "We always say Spamalot is 'lovingly ripped off' from the movies."
If you want to check out Monty Python's zany Broadway comedy Spamalot, visit www.johnlabattcentre.com for tickets. Shows are on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 — both starting at 7:30 p.m.
