Knight Moves

Contributions to our vocabulary by Monty Python's Flying Circus ("And now for something completely different," "Nudge nudge, wink wink," and lower-case spam itself) would be in vaguely anonymous Shakespearean or Biblical territory by now if the original gems hadn't been preserved on film and tape. And as 1975 films go,...

By Julie Peterson

September 20, 2012

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Contributions to our vocabulary by Monty Python's Flying Circus ("And now for something completely different," "Nudge nudge, wink wink," and lower-case spam itself) would be in vaguely anonymous Shakespearean or Biblical territory by now if the original gems hadn't been preserved on film and tape. And as 1975 films go, Arthurian send-up Monty Python and the Holy Grail has legs for days.

Tony-winning musical Spamalot has a lot more songs than the film (including "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Life of Brian), repurposed content from the rest of the Python canon (The Fish-Slapping Dance), and numerous fresh, making-fun-of-cheesy-musicals bits, including glitzy showgirls aplenty, a chandelier, and a search for the Jews necessary for show-biz success. Phoenix Theatre's press release for their production that continues through Sunday, October 14, features the additional sobering fact that four pounds of glitter gives its life during each performance.

Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 3 & 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 & 6:30 p.m.; Tue., Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., Oct. 3, 1 p.m. Starts: Sept. 19. Continues through Oct. 14, 2012

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Julie has written for the Night & Day events calendar section since 2005. As a student at Arizona State, she received the Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout Creative Writing Award and the Theatre Medallion of Merit.

Contact: Julie Peterson