Broadway in Chicago: Spamalot
The cast of Spamalot
Broadway in Chicago Presents SPAMALOT Review - Comedic Parody At Its Finest
TLDR: Longtime fans of both the original movie and musical will love the newest touring production of Spamalot. The cast takes every opportunity to go for gold and steal the scene getting big laughs from the audience making for a hilarious night out.
Blake Segal and Major Attaway
Monty Python Lovers Unite
The crowd at opening night of Spamalot is packed with fans of the original movie with medieval inspired outfits and t-shirts emblazoned with quotes. Whilst quoting the movie and show itself before the performance even starts, everyone here is primed and ready for every iconic bit.
Parodying Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot follows King Arthur (Major Attaway), who in turn is followed by his loyal squire bearing the traditional horse coconuts, on his quest to form the Knights of the Round Table and find the Holy Grail. While the show keeps those recognizable moments (It’s only a flesh wound!), this production updates many references and bits to speak to our humor today.
Attaway as King Arthur performs his role with the utmost seriousness for his quest, like Graham Chapman did as the fearless King of the Britons, especially when faced with French men who taunt him.
The joy and silliness of “Knights of the Round Table” is amplified as it's turned into a Vegas style parody with showgirls and tapdancing.
The Lady of the Lake appears with her Laker Girls as they transform the once peasant Dennis into the mighty Sir Galahad with a full cheerleader routine.
The Knights who say Ni are still looking for a shrubbery, but as the Knights who formerly say Ni re-introduce themselves, their new name is a combination of sayings and songs that reference every recently popular meme.
Everything flows together from the scene changes to the characters and the moments they create along the way to form a hilarious night out.
Working Double Duty
Everyone in this cast is working hard as they exercise their acting and quick change skills playing multiple characters.
Starting off strong with the “Fisch Schlapping Song” of Finland, the ensemble walks off stage grumbling when the narrator tells them we need to be in England. In a matter of minutes they are in their villager costumes for a rousing rendition of “I Am Not Dead Yet.”
What would the hero's quest be without a mystical being overseeing him and guiding his way. Amanda Robles as Lady of the Lake steals the show with every overexaggerated flip of her hair and belted note. She’s a diva in her own right, but when she puts on the beaded fringe number and delivers a medley of every genre under the sun, we feel the spirit of Liza Minnelli among others channeling through her.
Chris Collins-Pisano seems like he has a new character every ten minutes ranging from the strong-headed Lancelot to the French taunter farting in their general direction. It seems like his goal is to make everyone else on stage break character while the audience is free to laugh uncontrollably at everything he says.
And though Attaway is only King Arthur as his singular role, he brings it all together as the fearless leader showing his comedic range. He gallops, trots, and cantors with Patsy (Blake Segal) behind him keeping pace with the coconuts. When Sir Robin (Sean Bell) is tactfully telling him why they won’t succeed on Broadway, we turn to him and laugh as he can’t hide his wide eyed stare of disbelief. He leads his knights in Fosse and West Side Story as they traverse the world looking for the grail. He’s a larger than life presence and we’re glad to have him on this tour.
The cast has found new ways to make the show and characters their own while still maintaining the heart of the original movie and musical.
Amanda Robles and Ensemble
The After Party Thoughts
On second thought let’s DO go to Camelot Spamalot! As one of the target audience members for this show as someone who quotes The Holy Grail on the daily and gets the musical songs stuck in my head regularly, I thoroughly enjoyed this show. So much so that I saw it twice in a row (not kidding).
There's been some updates since I last saw it (on Broadway mind you YEARS ago) and probably since you saw it if you happened to see it while it was here on its first run here in Chicago. Some of these changes might cut a few of the iconic bits, but nothing that the rest of the show can’t make up for.
Between the already hilarious script and songs in the musical, this cast takes it upon themselves to carve out their own marks on these characters while still keeping true to the original inspirations. If you love this musical, this production will not disappoint. And if you haven’t seen it yet but love the movie or just want a farcical night out, Spamalot is the show for you.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
When
Now through May 31, 2026
Where
CIBC Theatre
8 W Monroe St.
Chicago, IL 60603
Runtime: 2hrs 20min, including intermission
Tickets
$35+
Tickets can be purchased through the box office or the Broadway in Chicago website
Photos
Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Steven Telsey, L’ogan J’ones, Chris Collins-Pisano, and Connor Coughlin
CAST
Major Attaway (King Arthur)
Sean Bell (Sir Robin / Guard 1 / Brother Maynard)
Chris Collins-Pisano (Sir Lancelot / The French Taunter / Knight of Ni / Tim the Enchanter)
Ellis C. Dawson III (Dennis’ Mother / Sir Bedevere / Concorde / Understudy King Arthur)
Leo Roberts (Sir Dennis Galahad / The Black Knight / Prince Herbert’s Father)
Amanda Robles (The Lady of the Lake)
Blake Segal (Mayor / Patsy / Guard 2)
Steven Telsey (Historian / Not Dead Fred / Baby / Nun / Mime / Minstrel / Prince Herbert / Bunny)
Lindsay Lee Alhady (Ensemble)
Delaney Benson (Ensemble / Understudy The Lady of the Lake)
Jack Brewer (Swing / Understudy Sir Galahad)
Connor Coughlin (Ensemble / Understudy King Arthur / Sir Robin / Historian)
L’ogan J’ones (Ensemble / Understudy Sir Lancelot / Patsy / Historian)
Graham Keen (Ensemble / Understudy Sir Robin / Sir Bedevere)
Claire Kennard (Ensemble / Understudy The Lady of the Lake)
Ben Lanham (Ensemble / Understudy Sir Lancelot / Sir Galahad)
Nathaniel Mahone (Ensemble / Understudy Patsy / Sir Bedevere)
Maddie Mossner (Swing)
Emilie Renier (Swing / Dance Captain)
Mark Tran Russ (Swing)
Meridien Terrell (Ensemble)
CREATIVE
Eric Idle (Book and Lyrics)
John Du Prez (Music)
Eric Idle (Music)
Josh Rhodes (Director / Choreographer)
Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic and Projection Designer)
Jen Caprio (Costume Designer)
Cory Pattak (Lighting Designer)
Kai Harada (Sound Designer)
Haley Parcher (Sound Designer)
Tom Watson (Wig Designer)
John Bell (Music Supervisor)
Jonathan Gorst (Musical Director / Conductor)
Matthew Brooks (Production Stage Manager)
Anna K. Rains (Stage Manager)
Dani Berman (Assistant Stage Manager)
James Neal (Company Manager)
Kat McIntyre (Assistant Company Manager)
Derek Kolluri (Associate Director)
Michael Fatica (Associate Choreographer)
Geoff Josselson, CSA (Casting)
RCI Theatricals (General Manager)
Jeffrey Finn (Producer)