spamalot

King Arthur: It's over Patsy... we will never find a Jew [to put in our Broadway show]...
Patsy: Well Sir... I'm part Jewish... on my mother's side.
Arthur: Really? Why didn't you say so earlier??
Patsy: Well, it's not the sort of thing you openly admit to a heavily armed Christian.

I just got back from Spamalot, and I'm glad I had already seen it in New York. I think Azaria, Pierce, Kennedy, et al. had a lot more life in their characters when I saw the show on Broadway, which gave it a little more snap and verve. This touring cast did a fine job, but the guy playing the historian had almost no expression at all, and I wasn't that thrilled with Sir Robin either, even though the comedy was there.

And the cast can't be blamed for the horrible acoustics in Playhouse Square's State Theatre. There were more than a few funny lines the audience missed because of the poor balance with the sound equipment, which is a shame when one is already paying over $40 a ticket to sit in the upper balcony and view the actors through opera glasses. I had a similar experience when I saw Les Misérables at the State a few months ago, although it wasn't quite as bad since we were 12 rows from the stage.

All that said, it's still a fun show, so I'm glad I went. And as an added bonus, the seat next to me was empty, so I didn't have to sit with my arms folded the whole time.

Arthur: Marry you? But aren't you a fairy?
Lady of the Lake: No, that's Lancelot...