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by Hans ten Cate
Monday, 23 May 2005
Here is the latest news and recent happenings involving Monty Python's
Spamalot...
 Broadway.com
is running an audience awards poll for this year's broadway shows
and Spamalot has a few nominations!
I am hereby urging fans everywhere to band together and show your
love for Eric, Spamalot, and the cast! Go to the link below and cast
your vote for the show. Spamalot is trailing in a few categories (but
not all!), so we need to make up for some lost ground... let's help
Spamalot get a Best Musical win on Broadway.com too!!!
Visit the competition
page or go directly to the voting
page.
Hurry though! Voting ends May 25th...
 Stage
and screen star Alan Tudyk will fill in for Tony Award nominee Hank
Azaria when the actor takes his leave from Spamalot later
this Summer.
Azaria will take a break from his Broadway debut June 6 to return
to filming on his Showtime drama series "Huff." Spamalot
will continue to star Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, Christopher Sieber,
Steve Rosen, Michael McGrath, Sara Ramirez and Christian Borle through
the remainder of 2005. Azaria will return to his Spamalot
roles (Lancelot, The French Taunter, Knight of Ni and Tim the Enchanter)
once shooting of Huff is completed this November.
Tudyk recently played one of the lead roles in I, Robot
(he played the robot) with Wil Smith and provided a very memorable
performance as the red-haired Wat Falhurst in 2001's A Knight's
Tale. Tudyk is no stranger to theater, as he won a 1997 Theatre
World Award for his off-Broadway debut in Bunny Bunny, based
on the life of Gilda Radner.
 Science
fiction magazine Starlog has published Kim "Howard" Johnson's
superlative article about Monty Python's Spamalot this month.
The June issue (#335) is now on newsstands and features a lavishly
illustrated five-page article about the show.
Included is a brief synopsis of the members' post-Python careers,
particularly Eric's, and how he and John Du Prez orchestrated the
musical from concept to reality.
Howard has been a frequent contributor to Starlog over the last few
decades and has written no fewer than 16 articles about the Pythons
as individuals as well as a group. Be sure and check out this month's
issue for a great overview of Spamalot!
Hank Azaria is being recognized for his talents as a first timer
on the Broadway Stage. He will be honored at the 2005 Theatre World
Awards. The honors are awarded to performers for making their first
major New York stage appearance (Broadway or Off-Broadway debuts).
The 61st awards ceremony will take place May 23 at Studio 54.
Created in 1944 by Theatre World founders Daniel Blum, Norman McDonald,
and John Willis, the Theatre World Awards are the oldest awards given
for debut performances in New York City, as well as one of the oldest
honors bestowed on New York actors.
A committee of New York drama critics currently chooses six actors
and six actresses for the Theatre World Award, who have distinguished
themselves in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions during the past
theatre season.
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| Celebrating at the Drama Desk Awards were
Spamalot cast members David Hyde Pierce, Hank Azaria, Christian
Borle, Casey Nicholaw, and Michael McGrath |
This past Sunday, May 22, Spamalot won three Drama Desk Awards, including
one for Outstanding Musical. Spamalot had been nominated for 12 awards.
The Drama Desks are the last major award show before the coveted
Tony Awards on June 5th.
The cast of Spamalot were on-hand to celebrate the winners, including
nominees Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, Christian Borle, Michael
McGrath, and Casey Nicholaw (choreography).
Steve Rosen, who made his Broadway debut as Sir Bedevere, Dennis
Galahad’s Mother and Concorde in Monty Python’s Spamalot
will be featured at the third season of Broadway Spotlight. Broadway
Spotlight brings bright new stars of the Great White Way to perform
solo in an intimate theater at Ars Nova.
 Rosen's
sudden climb to Broadway fame was an unexpected one. For over two
years, he was making his living as an audition reader for various
Broadway shows. Early in 2004, casting agent Tara Rubin asked Rosen
if he would be interested in reading with those auditioning for Spamalot.
He said "yes," and was eventually offered an audition and
then the chance to originate a role on Broadway; Spamalot marks his
Broadway debut.
Broadway Spotlight: Steve Rosen will be on Monday, June
13th at 8 PM.
 Spamalot:
the original Broadway cast recording CD was released on May 3 and
has been doing brisk sales. The album was also added to Apple Computer's
iTunes
where fans can sample and buy the album or purchase individual tracks.
The album was ranked among iTunes' top 10 albums for several weeks
and is still in the top 10 in the soundtracks category today.
On May 3rd, Eric Idle was also featured on iTunes among the "Celebrity
Playlists," where visitors can buy a few of Eric's favorite
music tracks. Eric chose 11 songs from various rock and pop artists
including Paul Simon's "Late In the Evening," Bob Dylan's
"Moonlight," The Rolling Stones' "Far Away Eyes,"
Joe Cocker's "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Are
You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley. Eric of course also
threw in a "Monty Python" favorite, "Sit on My Face,"
as he puts it, "For the sentiment."
The album can also be purchased on Amazon.com and at your local music
stores.
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| Spamalot stars David, Tim,
and Hank pose with their respective caricatures at Sardi's restaurant |
On Tuesday, May 17, 2005 Hank Azaria and David Hyde Pierce had their
caricature's unvelieved on the legendary walls of Sardi's restaurant.
The success of Spamalot and their Tony nominated roles earned them
a spot on the coveted walls of the restaurant, where ink-and-watercolor
portraits of 100s of theater celebrities have hung.
In the heart of New York's Theater District at 234 West 44th Street,
Sardi's has now been the toast of Broadway for 82 years. Hank, David,
and Tim Curry were in attendance.
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