Not the Sound of Music

Last night Brad, Laura and I went to see Spamalot. I bought the tickets last fall and told Brad just to save the evening. Luckily, we talked about it over dinner last week, because I had remembered the wrong date. If we'd gone with my memory (which is sketchier every day), we would have missed the show by a week. Laura guessed we were going to a show and blurted out, Spamalot? So much for my surprise.

Laura and I actually saw Spamalot while were in New York City in October on a college visit to NYU. The show is based on the 70s movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," one of Brad's favorite movies that he shared with Laura. After seeing Madame Butterfly at the Met (my choice), Laura and I walked to TKTS at the South Street Seaport the next morning to see what tickets were available that night. It came down to "Little Mermaid" and "Spamalot." It's was Laura's turn to choose. After spending the day walking all over Manhatten in the pouring rain, we arrived at the theater just in time for the show. The Knights who say Ni, the Black Knight, Tim the Enchanter, and the evil rabbit--they were all there. American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken had the role of Sir Robin, but it was Merle Dandridge's Lady of the Lake who stole the show with "The Song That Goes Like This" and "The Diva's Lament."

(An aside--even though Laura loved NYU, she decided, not me, that it didn't make sense to go to such an expensive school when she doesn't know what she wants to study in college. Saved again! Maybe grad school.)

Spamalot is completely irreverent, and I knew Brad would like it. When I saw it was coming to Detroit in February, I bought the tickets that same day. As we arrived at the Fisher Theater last night, the marquee announced that Richard Chamberlain was featured as King Arthur. Yes, the Richard Chamberlain of the 1960s "Dr. Kildare." Again, the featured star was upstaged by the actor who played the taunting French soldier and Sir Lancelot. Laura and I were also surprised that Merle Dandridge had left Broadway to join this road production. It was great to laugh and to laugh with a whole theater full of people. Brad is not the biggest fan of musical theater. There's just something about people breaking into song that he doesn't always appreciate. I knew this would be an exception because it makes fun of all the things that he makes fun of. A good time was had by all.