‘Spamalot’ to finish Auditorium season

The IU Auditorium season will finish with knights in tights, zany British humor and a giant wooden rabbit.

“Monty Python’s Spamalot,” a twist on the cult classic film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” which is itself a twist on the tale of King Arthur, will be performed at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Auditorium.

“From beginning to end, it will be tons of fun,” Auditorium events manager Maria Talbert said of the musical.

Besides lauding the pageantry and spectacle of the production, Talbert said “Spamalot” will include many current and pop references.

“The production and music is very Broadway-esque with bright, beautiful scenery and great choreography,” she said.

Written by original Monty Python member Eric Idle, the show includes numbers such as “The Song That Goes Like This” and “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway.”

The music, Talbert said, allows the show to spoof Broadway musicals in addition to adding pure fun to the production.

“It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but for both people who like musicals and those who think they won’t,” Talbert said.

Talbert said people sometimes have a certain idea of what a musical is, but “Spamalot” will leave them pleasantly surprised.

“This show takes British humor to a new level and redefines the standards of a successful musical parody with a performance that any audience will find incredibly witty and undeniably hilarious,” Auditorium director Doug Booher said in a press release.

Talbert likewise emphasized the broad appeal of the show, which won three 2005 Tony Awards and enjoyed more than 1,500 performances. Before the knights prance onto stage — heralded by the clip-clop of coconuts to imitate horses, as they have none — students can buy tickets for $20-41 at the Auditorium box office or at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets for the general public are $38-60.

The audience can look forward to the characteristic humor of the Monty Python franchise.

“I would say that British humor for me, personally, is very smart, fast-paced and a bit off-the-wall and along with that, a lot is pure silliness,” Talbert said. “It’s this combination that makes British humor unique.”

Another interesting aspect of British humor, Talbert said, is the political and moral commentary it includes.

“People will not only be having a good time, but as with all of Monty Python’s movies and shows, there is something you can take away and think about,” Talbert said.