Want to crack up? Watch ‘Spamalot’ soon in Manila

MANILA, Philippines – Crazy. Absurd. Resplendently silly. 

These are some of the words that audiences and media have used to describe my upcoming musical, MONTY PYTHON’S Spamalot, the “laff-a-minute” (Theatermania) winner of a Tony Award for Best Musical which opens on July 28.

It has been almost a year since I was on the Mind Museum Auditorium stage performing in the romantic comedy Love/Sick. And like a true junkie addicted to making an audience laugh, I’m dying to hear that sweet sound again, see those happy faces again. 

You know how some people are driven by power? I can’t begin to describe the high when I’m on stage, and for 2 hours I am part of something that can bring unadulterated joy, tears, and even make people forget their worries even for just a little while.

For me, that’s power. 

The very first time I posted on Instagram that Spamalot was coming to Manila and that I was playing the female lead role, my good friend and OPM icon Martin Nievera almost immediately commented that he loved the show, that it’s so funny.

For those who have never heard of Spamalot, here is a bit of background.

The Broadway musical (a wacky, over-the-top twist on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table) is the stage adaptation of the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It had a cult following as did its creators, a group of blokes called Monty Python that put on a BBC sketch comedy TV series in the late 60s.

Monty Python are something like a British version of Saturday Night Live – although hardcore fans may kill me for making that comparison. David Free (The Atlantic) once even called Monty Python the “Beatles of Comedy”.

One way to describe Monty Python humor is “slapstick”, but a better term, I believe, is “physical comedy”. I had the great fortune to catch Kevin Kline in his Tony award-winning performance for Present Laughter on Broadway last month and that’s what I overheard my seatmate say during intermission: “Kevin is a master of physical comedy”.

Will it appeal to Manila?

When we think about the kings of Philippine comedy, what comes to mind are legends Dolphy, Panchito, Noel Trinidad (father of Joel Trinidad, Spamalot Manila’s producer and co-director along with Nicky Triviño), and from the younger set, Michael V.

Will Spamalot’s British humor appeal to Manila audiences? The cast and I were asked this during a recent interview. Our unanimous answer: absolutely!

For generations, we Filipinos have developed a brand comedy of our own. While that may be different from what they can expect from the show, I believe fun-loving Pinoys, who can make jokes and laugh at the face of tragedy, are inherently attracted to all forms of comedy, regardless of style.

This may sound presumptuous, but after our opening night I am 100% certain that word of mouth will make getting tickets to succeeding performances very hard. My advice to all of you is to get your tickets while you still can. 

So the material is a winner, but believe it or not it would all fall flat if Upstart Productions hadn’t put together the craziest, funniest men and women of Philippine theater. Our greatest challenge is to concentrate and not just spend all of rehearsals laughing at each others’ antics. 

“They are all fearless”, Joel Trinidad says. “What I love about everyone in this cast is that they are not afraid to put themselves out there. Nothing is ever too silly. They don’t look before they leap. They just do it and if it works, we keep it.”

Another thing I’m very proud of in this production is that celebrated designer Francis Libiran, a dear friend who is truly one of the kindest (and most guapo!) souls I know, created the fabulous diva costumes for my character, Lady of the Lake. As a result, in my opinion my costumes are better than the ones on Broadway! 

I alternate with award-winning theater diva Carla Guevara-Laforteza as the mythical being that guides King Arthur on his quest for the grail. Catch me or Carla. We have different takes on the role but in the end, it’s all the same. You’ll still leave the theater cracking up.

Better yet, watch twice and see us both. – Rappler.com

The Philippine production of MONTY PYTHON’S Spamalot will play on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on July 28-August 12 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. Get your tickets NOW by contacting TicketWorld at 8919999 or Upstart at 09178116156 and upstartproductionsinc@gmail.com.

Rachel Alejandro is a singer/actress/TV host and co-owner of The Sexy Chef, Manila’s pioneer health food delivery service (www.thesexychef.ph).