Monty Python’s SPAMALOT (a musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail) is coming to Segerstrom Center for the Arts from February 17 to 22, the Costa Mesa theatre has announced.
Following its critically acclaimed 2023 Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre, SPAMALOT now launches its North American tour. Under the direction and choreography of Josh Rhodes, the production was praised for its inventive staging, design, and exceptional performances, reaffirming the enduring appeal of Monty Python’s distinctly British wit and comedic brilliance.
SPAMALOT, which first galloped onto Broadway in 2005, features a book & lyrics by Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. The original Broadway production was nominated for fourteen Tony Awards and won three, including Best Musical.
SPAMALOT has everything that makes a great knight at the theatre: from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake.
The cast includes Major Attaway (Aladdin) as King Arthur, Sean Bell (Harmony) as Sir Robin, Chris Collins-Pisano (Forbidden Broadway) as Sir Lancelot, Ellis C. Dawson III (Hamilton) as Sir Bedevere, Leo Roberts (Les Misérables) as Sir Galahad, Amanda Robles as The Lady of the Lake, Blake Segal (Mary Poppins) as Patsy and Steven Telsey (The Book Of Mormon) as The Historian/Prince Herbert.
Collins-Pisano (Sir Lancelot, The French Taunter, Knight of Ni, Tim the Enchanter), spoke to ENE this week saying he is gobsmacked he’s being paid to engage in this codswallop! In NYC, he has worked extensively with Forbidden Broadway, having performed as a member of their touring company, as well as Off-Broadway in Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song (2025Drama Desk, Best Revue), The Next Generation, plus the cabaret Forbidden Sondheim(MAC Award, Best Revue).
He has also appeared in the national tour of Elf (NETworks, 2018), Off-Broadway: Friends! The Musical Parody and regional productions of Forestburgh Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, The Z, The Engeman, Gateway Playhouse, St. Michael’s Playhouse, Westchester Broadway Theatre, New London Barn Playhouse.
“I’m very I’m very happy that this worked out. I feel very lucky to get to do this show every day. It’s really like the best thing to get to do for me,” said Collins – Pisano.
Although not necessarily a “stand-up” comedian, Collins-Pisano says he is totally at home doing comedy on the stage.
“I think it’s definitely a science,” he said of humor, and the cast can generally tell the quality of the humor by timing the pause after the joke to the audience reaction.
“Sometimes, I will talk to my castmates about it, and we’ll talk about it in terms of, like, not, like, full math. But, you know, there’s some stuff we were like, Okay, well, we tried doing that. It took, like, probably, like a five-count, pause. What if we trim it down? What if we only do it for three (second pause). I have to change things up,” he said.
The longtime veteran of Broadway parody says the show pretty much takes a swipe at everything, which he says, can be very funny. And despite the divided times in which we live, deep down, we all need to laugh at ourselves.
“I also believe that if you’re able, if we’re all able to smile and we’re all able to laugh, that humor can be in some small way, can be an equalizer, to make people go back out into the world and maybe look at something differently, look at something and think they’re maybe being too harsh, and they need to find more love for people,” the actor said.
“And you know, I hope that we’re able to, in the most subtle way possible, maybe move the pendulum a little back towards positivity and trying to find common ground and understanding with people, so that we’re not all disjointed. And then maybe we can all find a way, despite our disagreements, to maybe move things in a better direction,” he said.
“I hope. I mean, that’s a lot of heady stuff for a show that has a lot of jokes in it. But maybe it’s possible, just maybe.”
Monty Python’s SPAMALOT opens Feb. 17.
Tickets are available Monday-Friday in person at the box office, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. More information is available at (714) 556-2787 or visit scfta.org.