Review: Monty Python's Spamalot Feels a Bit Tired on the Road

The national tour of the 2023 Broadway revival of Monty Python’s Spamalot has galloped into Los Angeles at the Hollywood Pantages, and the musical numbers remain as boisterous, energetic, and gleefully goofy as ever. Unfortunately, the book scenes, largely lifted from the famous dialogue of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, have lost much of their luster in this incarnation.

Set in medieval England, King Arthur (Major Attaway) and his loyal servant Patsy (Blake Segal) clop their coconuts across the land, recruiting knights in their quest for the Holy Grail. The ragtag fellowship includes the brutish Lancelot (Chris Collins-Pisano), the cowardly Robin (Sean Bell), and the vain Galahad (Leo Roberts). Overseeing it all is the Lady of the Lake (Amanda Robles), who once bestowed the sword Excalibur upon Arthur and proclaimed him king, and continues to guide and bolster her protégé ruler. Along the way, the clan is tormented by rude Frenchmen, ornery knights, and damsels in distress who may not be…well…damsels at all. A happy ending is possible, assuming they aren’t gnawed to death by vicious rabbits first.

The original Spamalot won multiple Tony Awards and ran for nearly 1,600 gut‑busting performances. Twenty years later, even with a few topical jokes sprinkled in, much of the humor feels tired. For the first time, the book scenes weigh the show down rather than sustain it. Genuine laughs are scarce, and many of the sketches feel perfunctory, like a younger sibling endlessly reciting Holy Grail quotations at the breakfast table. Among the cast, Roberts best captures the spirit and cadence of the Pythons, whether he’s debating government as Dennis or proudly defending his future “huge… tracts of land” as Prince Herbert’s father.

Where the production still soars is in its musical numbers. Co‑written by John Du Prez and Python Eric Idle, the songs remain jubilant, buoyed by a strong cast and director/choreographer Josh Rhodes’s inventively rich staging. Robles is a knockout in every appearance, belting, scatting, and commandingly holding the spotlight in “Find Your Grail” and “Diva’s Lament.” Bell, as the Broadway‑obsessed Robin, turns the klezmer‑inflected “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” into a rousing showstopper. Segal, in what could be a purely unserious role, brings unexpected heart to Patsy, especially in his counter-singing of “I’m All Alone” with Attaway. Steven Telsey, sporting a strong falsetto, sings beautifully as Herbert in the finale.

Jen Caprio’s costumes, particularly the glittering, bedazzled gowns worn by Robles, are stunning. Paul Tate dePoo III’s projections, however, while echoing the 1970s Terry Gilliam‑style animation of the original film, are underwhelming, lending the production a tawdry quality that undercuts its otherwise polished presentation.

Spamalot will no doubt introduce younger audiences to the cult of Monty Python. It’s unfortunate, then, that the sketches that once made the troupe charge forth like a stallion now clop along like a hollow coconut.