One local theatre may be entering its nonagenarian years, but it is “not dead yet.”
Twin City Players announced the first production of its 90th mainstage season will be the Tony Award-winning “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” running Sept. 9-25 at the TCP Playhouse, 600 W. Glenlord Road, St. Joseph.
Lovingly ripped off from the classic comedy film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they search for the Holy Grail.
Scott Bradford, director of the TCP production, said the play takes a lot from the original film, but adds pieces from other Monty Python skits throughout the years. It features a cast of 26 adults, which Bradford said is one of their bigger casts on the small proscenium stage.
“We put 26 people on the stage all the time, but usually when we do there’s a lot of kids involved,” Bradford said. “It’s kind of hard to put that many people in there. … But we’ve been doing big musicals on this stage for years, and we’ve been proving to people that it doesn’t matter how small the stage is.”
The reason for all the adult performers is simple – the content is not suited for children.
“Monty Python made their trade on innuendo, sexual reference and anything that was inappropriate,” Bradford said. “We take everything they’ve done and we’re just putting a little bit of our spice onto it. You’re going to see all the good things that everybody liked about Monty Python – plus.”
Tickets are $15 for adults, and can be purchased at twincityplayers.org or through the TCP box office at 269-429-0400. Performances will be Fridays and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at the TCP Playhouse, 600 W. Glenlord Road, St. Joseph. Masks are required.
Cast members are Christian Hurdle, Juliet Golob, Nathan Neidlinger, John Golob, Will Flaherty, Jacob Holmes, Jim Richards, Kelsey Trux, Alexandra Newman, Kaley Schmidt, Laura Gomez, Jessica Lewis, Jana Tahtinen, Allen Pille, Matt “Dolphy” Clark, John Rogers, Joe Daniel, Wayne Buckhanan, Marty Golob, Beth DeCoursey, Andrew Glisson, Ash, Mel Weber, Tom Gess, Zach Puplis, and Liam Diefenbach.
Additional crew includes Assistant Director Cassidy Vlietstra, Student Director Elise Bradford, Music Director Tim McFeeters, Tech Director Marty Golob, Choreographer Belle Schmidt, Stage Manager Wendy Golob, Costumers Reta Trux and Barbara Stepka, and Properties Eni Buckhanan.
Watch a sneak peek of a Spamalot rehearsal below:
https://www.facebook.com/wsjmfm/videos/572010657942073
By Ryan Yuenger
MOTM Contributor
