Square One Players of Shrewsbury embracing 'Spamalot' with silliness and making it work

SHREWSBURY — In "Monty Python's Spamalot," silliness rules the quest of King Arthur and his knights for the Holy Grail as they encounter, among others, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits, Not Dead Fred, and the Knights who say Ni.  King Arthur's trusted servant Patsy follows him around banging two coconut shells together to make the sound of a horse's hooves as Arthur "rides" before him.

The 2005 Tony Award-winning musical, which describes itself as "lovingly ripped off from the motion picture 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail,'" also features the quest of bringing the king and his entourage to the enchanted land called Broadway.

The community theater group Square One Players of Shrewsbury is embracing the silliness for its production of "Monty Python's Spamalot" that runs Aug. 5 to 13 at the Flanagan Theater at Southgate at Shrewsbury.

The production is directed by Kevin McGerigle, with musical direction by Sam Asuque and chorography by Kait Eckstrom-Doig. The cast includes Kevin Moylan as King Arthur, Gary Swanson as Patsy, James Lamoureux as Sir Lancelot, Isaac Swanson as Sir Robin, and Izzy Scampoli as the Lady of the Lake.

"It's so fun. It's so silly. You laugh the whole time," said Tara Lamoureux, co-founder, co-owner and co-operator of Square One Players with Joanne Smith and Tara Alano.

Especially after the challenges last two or three years that we've all gone through, "We said, 'Let's put it on.' I brought it to the table and everyone agreed," Lamoureux recalled.

"We all love the show. It's silly. It's funny. It's got great music, great vehicles for singing and dancing. We said, 'OK, let's do it." Joanne Smith said.

And people outside of Square One Players evidently feel the same way, too. "We had the biggest auditions we've ever had," Lamoureux said.

"We had a lot of talent to choose from," said Smith.

"Spamalot" is the the theater group's fifth production and second musical since being founded by Lamoureux, Smith and Alano in 2021 to essentially replace the Regatta Players, which had been a needed theater outlet in town from 2010 until it shut down in 2020.

But to pull off some enjoyable silliness, some serious thought and organization is required.

The Square One Players production of "Spamalot" has a cast of 15, a large number for the Flanagan Theater.

Last summer the theater group put on the musical "Nunsense," which has a cast of five.

"It's a big one," Smith said of "Spamalot." "It's quite the undertaking. It's small stage and the back stage is even smaller. As long as we're organized and on top of things, it should go OK."

There's also a six-member band. "Which is also a tight fit in that space. We have to get creative," Smith said. "But we're making it work and it's sure to be a fun show."

'A good mixture of old and new'

Not that the theater group is anything but highly appreciative of Southgate at Shrewsbury, a senior living community that offered its theater space to the Regatta Players and now has done the same for Square One Players for two shows a year. The Flanagan Theater seats about 175 people and is handicapped accessible, Smith said.

It may also help that love is in air concerning this production of "Spamalot."

Tara Lamoureux said she met her husband, James Lamoureux" at a 2016 production of "Spamalot" put on by Stageloft Repertory Theater in Sturbridge (the theater company currently appears to be on hiatus).

James Lamoureux also played Sir Lancelot in that production, while Tara Wykes, as she was then, ran the lights and sound.

The couple were married last Octover.

The Square One Player production of "Spamalot" will be "our first show as a married couple," said Tara Lamoureux, who this time is the stage manager.

There are some other ties with the 2016 Stageloft "Spamalot" and the Square One Players production. Kevin McGerigle directed the Stageloft show and now takes the reins for "Spamalot" at Square One. Kait Ekstrom-Doig was Lady of Lake at Stageloft and is now choreographer for "Spamalot" at Square One. Her husband Nick Doig is a member of the ensemble. Gary Swanson and his son Isaac Swanson were King Arthur and Sir Robin at Stageloft and return at Square One with Gary Swanson now as Patsy and Isaac Swanson again as Sir Robin. Isaac Swanson's wife, April Swanson, is a member of the ensemble.

Some of the same actors and others in "Spamalot" have also been in previous Square One Players or Regatta Players productions.

But the well-attended auditions for "Spamalot" also brought in new faces to Square One Productions, although some of the names will be familiar to local theatergoers.

For example, Kevin Moylan, a talented actor seen in a number of local shows, makes his Square One Productions debut at King Arthur.

"We have people we've never had before. We have a good mixture of old and new," Smith said.

"It's definitely a different cast, different experience, but still the same fun show," said Tara Lamoureux. "There are fresh eyes on it."

'It's only a model'

The stage musical "Monty Python's Spamalot" has a score by  John Du Prez and Eric Idle, with lyrics and book by Idle. Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the musical offers a satire of  Arthurian legend and theater in general. Idle is an original member of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" which first emerged to great surrealistic hilarity on BBC television in 1969.

The 2005 Broadway production of "Monty Python's Spamalot' directed by the late Mike Nichols received 14 Tony Award nominations, winning in three categories, including Best Musical. Original cast member and Worcester native Michael McGrath received a Tony award nomination in the category of Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Patsy.

Tara Lamoureux said that as they got involved with Stageloft's "Spamalot" in 2016, she and her husband-to-be "shared a sense of humor."

However, some people who auditioned for "Spamalot" with Square One didn't know Monty Python, she noted. "There were some things explained to get the jokes." Still, "they bring their own sense of humor to it," she said.

"Rehearsals have been great. It's been coming together again as a community working together to build sets, props. Some nights are just very silly because it's silly choreography," Tara Lamoureux said.

Speaking of props, "Spamalot" has a lot of them, and it's a serious business getting them to the right actors with the actors also knowing which ones are theirs, Smith said. "Everyone's doing so great knowing what props they have," she said.

"There are crazy props. Every scene needs at least one. They're quick-changing scenes and there's so much music."

One prop is the cow that gets thrown by the Frenchmen at poor King Arthur and his knights. The cow is inflatable, Smith said.

Similarly there are lots of costume changes, and so therefore also, lots of costumes, she said.

Ensemble member Foley Herrmann has been making the costumes, Smith said. "She's doing a phenomenal job. I don't know where we'd be without her."

'We all love the music'

Square One Players would love to have a hit with "Spamalot."

"We certainly hope it is. We've been getting phone calls and emails and people are excited to see it. We have gotten a very positive response. We're getting there. A little over half sold. We'd love to get the word out. It's a beloved musical," Smith said.

The first step for Square One Players was taking over and staging a production of the poignant comedy "Over the River and Through the Woods" in 2021 that had initially been planned by the Regatta Players but was interrupted by the pandemic.

Smith, Lamoureux  and Alano had all been involved with the Regatta Players, mostly behind the scenes, and had also served on its board.

In 2022, Square One Players put on the comedy "Exit Laughing" and the musical "Nunsense." This spring it staged the comedy "Leading Ladies."

"'Leading Ladies' did very, very well. It sold out several performances. People just loved the show," Smith said.

The two top shows for Square One Players so far have been "Nunsense" and "Leading Ladies," Smith said.

"'Nunsense' tickets went like wild fire, but 'Leading Ladies' did very well."

It's a good sign for a theater group when its two most recent shows are also its most popular.

"I hope we continue that trend. We like to build up our base. We've had people call saying we cannot wait to come and see your next one. I hope to keep that up so they want to come back in again," Smith said.

Square One Players is already planning its next sixth and seventh steps. For spring, 2024, it will stage the comedy-drama "Steel Magnolias." Next summer's musical is expected to be "The Marvelous Wonderettes," about a 1950s/'60s high school Songleader squad of four.

"Which is a big difference from 'Spamalot' but its a great show. We all love the music," Smith said

'Monty Python's Spamalot'

When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5, 2 p.m. Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 12, 2 p.m. Aug. 13

Where: Flanagan Theater in Southgate at Shrewsbury, 30 Julio Drive, Shrewsbury

How much: $20; $17 student/senior. www.squareoneplayers.com

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Square One Players embracing 'Spamalot' with silliness and love