On this day in 2005, Spamalot opened at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre. The production, directed by Mike Nichols with choreography by Casey Nicholaw, played 34 previews and 1,575 performances before closing January 11, 2009. The musical earned 14 Tony Award nominations, winning three including Best Musical.
Inspired by the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot tells the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table on their quest from God for the Holy Grail—with a short stop in the dazzling Spam-filled land of Camelot. The musical features music by Eric Idle (one of the film’s original writers) and John Du Prez with lyrics and book by Idle.
The original Broadway production of Spamalot starred Tim Curry as King Arthur, David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin/Brother Maynard/Guard 1, Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot/The French Taunter/Knight of Ni/Tim The Enchanter, Sara Ramirez as The Lady of the Lake, Christopher Sieber as Sir Dennis Galahad/The Black Knight/Prince Herbert’s Father, Michael McGrath as Patsy/Mayor/Guard 2, Steve Rosen as Sir Bedevere/Dennis’ Mother/Concorde, Christian Borle as Prince Herbert and others, and John Cleese as the recorded voice of God.
Rounding out the cast were Brad Bradley, Thomas Cannizzaro, Kevin Covert, Jennifer Frankel, Lisa Gajda, Jenny Hill, Emily Hsu, Abbey O’Brien, Ariel Reid, Greg Reuter, Brian Shepard, and Scott Taylor with John Bolton, James Ludwig, and Darlene Wilson as standbys and Pamela Remler and Rick Spaans as swings.
The original production featured scenic and costume design by Tim Hatley, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, and projection design by Elaine J. McCarthy with stage management by Mahlon Kruse, Jim Woolley, and Rachel Wolff.
A revival of the comedy played the Broadway boards in 2023, running for 17 previews and 164 regular performances. A tour is set to launch in fall 2025. Look back at the original Broadway production below.
