Monty Python Member Writes Musical
Tue Dec 28, 2:21 PM ET Entertainment - AP
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Killer rabbits and a legless knight. Are these the makings of a Broadway musical?
AP Photo
Yes, says Eric Idle, a member of the zany British troupe Monty Python. He wrote the book for "Spamalot," the stage version of the 1975 comedy film classic "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," now playing in Chicago.
"To me, the musical is best when it's a musical comedy," Idle told AP Radio in a recent interview. "So if you have a very, very funny show, and very good, funny songs, that's what the musical does best."
"Spamalot," directed by Mike Nichols and starring Hank Azaria (news), David Hyde Pierce and Tim Curry (news), will move to Broadway in February. Music and lyrics are by Idle and John Du Prez.
Idle said the other Python members approved the show.
"They're very cautious about what they allow. They've never allowed this sort of thing before. Everyone was enthusiastic and on board because the songs made them laugh," he said.
Idle said "Spamalot" is upbeat — not a downer like Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera."
"All the years when Andrew Lloyd Webber, people with plates over their faces moaning and groaning and singing, was for me dead loss. I hated all that stuff," he said.
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On the Net:
http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/
