By Ruth Ross
Having been rained out at their opening the night before, the folks at Trilogy Rep must have been looking on "the bright side of life," and the weather gods must have heard them. On Saturday night, the rain held off, and the temperature fell a bit, allowing this impressive and lively production of Spamalot to heartily entertain the enthusiastic theatergoers gathered on the grassy slopes of Pleasant Valley Park in Basking Ridge.
Once again, Trilogy Rep has reminded me how much I love outdoor theater (especially musical theater) and why I anticipate the return of summer and the prospect of a production at Pleasant Valley Park. Consistently, this troupe of thespians produces terrific renditions of block-buster musicals on a slim budget and using local talent. It is an annual event that is not to be missed.
For Spamalot, "a new musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail," director Jaye Barre has assembled a large cast, some veterans and many appearing with Trilogy for the first time. They sing; they dance; they do comedy—and they do it so well that it is worth the price of admission. Oh, wait: the performance is free, so we are really getting much more than our money's worth!
For those who may not have seen the iconic film, Spamalot recounts the legend of Arthur, newly crowned king of the Britons as he searches for knights to be seated at his Round Table and then as they undertake a quest for the ephemeral Holy Grail, ostensibly the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. Along the way, Python veteran Eric Idle has a grand time spoofing the Middle Ages ("How can it be called that if nothing comes after us?" asks the rather dim king) and parodying the conventions of musical theater, especially the kinds of songs that pop up in almost every show. Two, "The Song That Goes Like This" (it's reprised three times in three different versions and tempos) and "The Diva's Lament," do nothing to really advance the show except send-up the form’s stock numbers about a boy and a girl or the actress who feels neglected because she hasn't appeared onstage for a while. Corny jokes, balmy characters (the coward Sir Robin who wets his pants in battle and Sir Lancelot, who discovers his sexuality in a hilarious number with a "maiden" he's come to save), politically incorrect japes and singular silliness have all been translated from the screen to the stage to the accompaniment of music composed by Idle and John du Prez and lyrics penned by Idle.
Of the very large cast, several are to be commended for their performances. The tall baritone Ken Magos is a properly regal, albeit kind of dim, King Arthur as he strides through the kingdom attempting to marshal his rag-tag bunch of knights on their search for the Grail. These include strong performances from Michael Patierno as Dennis (aka Sir Galahad), Tyler Barnick as the lanky Lance(lot), David Rittenhouse as timid Sir Robin (above, center) and Christopher North as the flatulent Sir Bedevere (lots of fart jokes). Bob Vaias is hilarious as the French Taunter ("I fart in your general direction") who hurls insults at the Brits from his castle tower, Mike Patierno as the Knight of Ni, Joanna Hoty Russell as Galahad's nutty mother and Drew Militano as Arthur's squire Patsy (he gets to clap two coconut shells together as he and Arthur "ride" their horses across Britain).
Giving Magos a run for his musical money is Christie Oakes as the knock-out Lady of the Lake/Leading Lady Diva ( with Magos, left). Slinky in sequins and sporting a beautiful voice, Oakes has a grand time singing skat, a torch song, and "The Diva's Lament," all tweaking the conventions of musical comedy in a very entertaining way. Listen for her effortlessly mixing various musical styles in the same song. And her comedic timing is impeccable. Equally as fine is Patrick Swailes Caldwell, a rubber-jointed reveler who appears in several roles, starting with Not Dead Fred, who refuses to get on the cart taking the plague victims away, and ending with the feminine Prince Herbert, who would rather sing than wed the princess his father has selected. Caldwell is a talent to watch!
This musical madness is accompanied by a group of talented musicians directed by Lois Buesser; they even have some funny bits written into the script. Beverly Webb's costumes are eye-popping, and Bill Corson's lighting and Chris Szeluga's sound give the production a real professional edge.
Eric Idle has given the Trilogy Rep folks a show that is irreverent to the max, and they rise to the occasion. Spamalot is just the antidote for a so-far rainy summer. It exhorts us to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," which is not hard to do as the curtain comes down. Everyone was humming that melody as the crowd streamed out of the amphitheater to their cars. So pack up your chairs and kids, bring a picnic, tuck an umbrella into your bag, and head out with the family to Pleasant Valley Park in Basking Ridge for an evening of laughter, music and all-around fun. (Note: the script contains a bit of mild profanity and some gay jokes.)
Spamalot will be performed at Pleasant Valley Park, Valley Road in Basking Ridge (near the Lyons V.A. Hospital) July 18, 19 and 20 at 8 PM. Admission is free. Check the Trilogy Repertory Theatre's Facebook page for information about performance cancellation.
