Plenty of ham in hilarious 'Spamalot'

NEW YORK -- One stupendously silly show, "Monty Python's Spamalot" resembles its semi-namesake Spam: It consists of plenteous spiced ham, plus lots of other little bits of strange material, squeezed into a tight package.

Opening yesterday at the Shubert Theatre, the new musical comedy should delight fans of the eccentric British troupe's 1975 film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," which inspired this show.

Chunks of the screwy screenplay are recycled here by writer Eric Idle, so Python lovers will see everything from those jeering French soldiers to the dismembering of the Black Knight to the rescue of sissified Prince Herbert from his tower.

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The episodic story still traces the bumbling path of King Arthur and his medieval cohorts as they seek a holy relic. Then a second act detour steers them into some rampant show-biz spoofing, when the yelping Knights of Ni demand as their tribute the creation of a Broadway musical.

Viewers who haven't a clue about the movie or Python-esque humor in general may have trouble getting their bearings in this fast-moving farrago of foolishness, but it's likely that they will eventually succumb to the nuthouse wiles of director Mike Nichols' anything-goes production.

Even before the Spike Jones-style overture began, people started giggling as they perused the Playbill, which contains several fake pages regarding a Scandinavian "moosical." It's a harbinger of the show's erroneous opening number, involving a Finnish "Fisch Schlapping Song" that romps away until somebody reminds the chorus that the story actually unfolds in England.

Such lunacy is indicative of a musical that renders the halls of Camelot as a Vegas casino and elsewhere blithely declares "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" unless your show has Jews in it. That ditty sees a chorus line of knights aping the "bottle dance" from "Fiddler on the Roof" with medieval goblets on their heads. Sounds crazy, no? "The Song That Goes Like This" is a key-escalating send-up of Andrew Lloyd Webber arias complete with chandelier. Fleeting lampoons of other famed tuners riddle "Spamalot" like potholes on the Turnpike.

Aside from the "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" soft-shoe anthem from the film "Life of Brian," most of the tunes are composed by John Du Prez with lyrics by Idle. They're amusing if unmemorable songs. Frankly, in terms of sophistication, the extremely broad humor that characterizes both score and script of "Spamalot" makes "The Producers" seem like "Der Rosenkavalier."

Still, between its virtually ceaseless laughs, designer Tim Hatley's cuckoo sets and costumes and the sharp talents of a lively cast, the bawdy musical proves to be ridiculously entertaining.

Apart from a gleaming-eyed Tim Curry's King Arthur and Sara Ramirez's splashy diva turns as the Lady of the Lake, the rest of the performers cavort through several parts each, which adds extra zest to the proceedings. Ideal in their principal roles, David Hyde Pierce is the gravely chicken-hearted Sir Robin, Christopher Sieber is an iron-jawed, wavy-locked Sir Galahad and Hank Azaria is dunder-headed Sir Lancelot. Michael McGrath is endearing as Patsy, King Arthur's grubby vassal. The ensemble is a versatile bunch who spin through Casey Nicholaw's mirthful dances.

Zipping along at a little more than two hours, this rambunctious collection of wacky sketches and songs on a feudal theme is scarcely a great musical meant for the ages, but for the here and now, "Spamalot" sure is a lot of fun.