The Same Old Song and Dance

A little known secret about t2ed is that I loves me musical theatre. I guess it's proof that I'm in touch with my inner homo. I don't know why, but music + plays + comedy = hilarity in my brain. I probably don't go to the theater but once a year, but I think comedy musicals are even funnier than the collective musical stylings of William Shatner. It's the same way with musical comics like Henry Phillips or Paul and Storm or Stephen Lynch. This may harken back my school days. I used to have season tickets to the Southern Arizona Light Opera Company and would take a date or three creating the illusion that I was someone who laughed at something other than dick and/or fart jokes.

Please do not consider this a blanket endorsement of all musical theater. I saw Les Miserable and thought that must be a reference to the audience. After Phantom, I whined, "Why couldn't that damn chandelier have dropped on him a lot earlier?" If it's not a musical comedy, I want no part of it.

Wife and I recently had the good fortune to attend a road show of Spamalot. Now if you're not fortunate enough to live within short distance of either Noo Yawk or Vegas, it's also touring. And it's good. Really good even if you don't get Tim Curry, Hank Azaria or David Hyde Pierce. If you've seen the movie, it's got all the best scenes. And if you've not scene the movie, you really need to get out more and probably shouldn't be reading this anyway. Go to Netflix right now and put it in your queue.

Even if you haven't seen the movie, you'll still like the show. It skewers all the Broadway conventions like woeful overacting and Andrew Lloyd Weber and songs that are too long with endless key changes and even more overacting the inspirational Big Song that's designed to win the Tony. That Eric Idle and John Du Prez are funny cats.

For proof of just how good Spamalot is, I offer this story. After we saw the show the week before Christmas, Wife and I acauired the cast recording for each other. Now that's either a really bad Gift of the Magi rip off or it shows just how good it is.

Or how brain damaged we both are. I'm still trying to work that one out. Luckily I can listen to the show to soothe my savage beast even when I skip my meds.