Even after half a century, the comedy of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” remains gloriously, gleefully absurd. Audiences can expect plenty of that trademark humor when the Tony Award-winning musical “Spamalot” returns on July 28 to the Peace Center, complete with flying cows, taunting Frenchmen, the Black Knight and the Knights Who Say “Ni.”
Major Attaway, who stars as King Arthur in the first national tour of the recent Broadway revival, says fans of the original film will find that the musical has remained remarkably faithful to its source — with just enough updating to keep the jokes fresh.
“Most of the bits from the original film that were lovingly ripped off for the musical are still the same,” Attaway said, speaking by phone from a tour stop in San Antonio, Texas. “We’ve updated a few of the references that people will get today.”
Some of those changes came directly from “Spamalot” creator Eric Idle, who visited the touring production and suggested new material to keep the show up to the present.
“He’s the only one who’s allowed to do that,” Attaway said with a laugh.
The show follows King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as they seek the Holy Grail with the help of the Lady of the Lake.
Attaway is perhaps best known for playing the Genie in Broadway’s “Aladdin” from 2017-20. He holds the record as the longest-running Genie with more than 1500 performances.
For Attaway, the role of King Arthur is something of a dream assignment. A lifelong Monty Python fan, he relishes playing the dignified King Arthur amid the surrounding madness.
“I really love the opportunity to play a serious character in a silly situation,” he said.
‘Smart nonsense’
What continues to make Monty Python’s comedy work, he believes, is its combination of cleverness and complete absurdity.
“It’s smart nonsense,” he said, pointing to the famous Knights Who Say “Ni” sequence and the Black Knight insisting that losing his limbs is “just a scratch.”
“I love the absurdity of the situations,” he said.
The production features a cast of about 20 performers, a sizable company for a touring musical, delivering both broad comedy and memorable musical numbers. Alongside comic favorites such as “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” — complete with its audience sing-along finale — the score also includes unexpectedly heartfelt songs, including “I’m All Alone,” one of Attaway’s personal favorites.
Whether audiences are longtime devotees of Monty Python or discovering Camelot’s most ridiculous quest for the first time, Attaway believes “Spamalot” still succeeds for the same reason it always has: beneath the silliness is a remarkably well-crafted comedy that invites audiences to laugh together at the wonderfully impossible.
Want to go?
What: “Spamalot,” the musical
When: July 28-Aug. 2
Where: Peace Center, 300 S. Main St., Greenville
Tickets: $71.50-$121
Info: 864-467-3000 or peacecenter.org
