I took in the touring musical show "Spamalot"; last night at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. It razzled, it dazzled, it sparkled and popped. It also tooted (in my general direction), and definitely entertained.
It has been many years since I last watched "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"; but it all came back to me as I watched the show. How could I forget the charge to "cut down the largest tree in the forest with a herring?";
The castle of Camelot twinkled, the voice of God boomed, a sorcerer named "Tim"; hung mysteriously in midair. No cost was spared on the set, dry ice, fireworks or costuming -- indeed, lots of eye candy. Plus, there were scads of fabulous dancing, hearty singing and sword fighting. Once the tweaks got worked out with the sound in the space, the true quality of the performer's voices was able to shine through.
For a moment there, I let my feminist undies get in a bundle about women being merely cast as extraneous playthings -- but then I reminded myself that the men in the show were not really the sharpest tacks in the box either. It is just not that kind of show. So relax. It's a silly bunch of fools showing us how to have a good time -- and ultimately, it really is the lady of the lake that has all the power.
"Spamalot"; is part of the Broadway Series at the Marcus Center and runs through Sunday, May 4.
Jessica Laub was born in Milwaukee in the spring of 1970, thereafter spending her childhood days enjoying the summers on the shores of Lake Michigan and winters at the toboggan chute in Brown Deer Park.
Alas, she moved away to broaden her horizons, and studied out East for a few years at Syracuse University. After a semester "abroad" at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, she graduated with a B.A. in English and advertising.
After college, she worked at Glacier National Park, a ski hill in Steamboat, Col. and organic farms in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California.
In 1995, Laub moved to Nicaragua where she worked on community gardens, reforestation and environmental education as a Peace Corps volunteer. While there, she learned to speak Spanish, pay attention to world politics and how to make tortillas.
Laub then returned to Milwaukee to join the ranks of the non-profit sector. Currently, she works at the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) and keeps busy by painting, throwing pots, reading, trying to understand her two-year old son, seeing performances and howling at the moon.
