"Bring out your dead!...Bring out your dead!"

On second thought, leave them at home. But get your tickets and be prepared to nearly die yourself from sheer laughter! Monty Python's Spamalot has been hailed as one of the funniest musicals to hit Broadway in years. The 2005 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Spamalot is still making audiences roar. Based on the 1975 cult comedy classic film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", Spamalot is a sort of "spoof of a spoof". The producers use the phrase "lovingly ripped off" to describe Spamalot's version of Holy Grail - itself a parody of the epic story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Like Holy Grail, Spamalot takes creative freedoms with the story of King Arthur and his quest to find the ultimate religious relic - the Holy Grail. All the staples of the story of Camelot are here - the sword Excalibur (received by Arthur from the Lady in the Lake), the Knights of the Round Table, even the Lady Guinevere. But that is where the similarities end and the silliness begins.

As you might expect from a Python-flavored production, Spamalot enjoys a cast of complete misfit characters. These companions accompany King Arthur on this adventure, much to the delight of audiences. Among these are Arthur's trusted companion Patsy (a half-man/half steed) and "Sir Lancelot the Homicidally Brave". Arthur's companions can best be described as "bumbling". Fortunately for them, the enemies they encounter are even worse!

The Chicago production, running at Shubert Theatre, boasts an outrageously talented cast headlined by Tim Curry as King Arthur, David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin, and Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot. As a special treat to Python fans, a recording of John Cleese even plays as the Voice of God!

Director Mike Nichols leads this band of noblemen. Former Python (and Holy Grail creator) Eric Idle teams with John Du Prez ("A Fish Called Wanda") on the Grammy Award-winning music and lyrics.

The production includes a few songs from the Holy Grail film ("Brave Sir Robbin" and "Knights of the Round Table"). New tunes only add to the zaniness. There are numbers that take swings at other productions (such as Phantom of the Opera) and even songs that help Spamalot poke fun at Python! The show ends with a sing-along finale - with full audience participation - while buckets full of glitter rain down!

Python fans (and fanatics) will delight in Spamalot and the typical Python irreverence that is now brought to the stage. Spamalot brings all of the Python silly fun that fans have come to revel in, making it a hit among critics and audiences alike. Book your seats and get your tickets today for your very own unforgettable quest!