Musical comedy 'Spamalot' to be performed in Charleston (2024)

With this being the musical comedy adaptation of"Monty Python and the Holy Grail," of course, their noble steeds will be made up of imagination and clacking coconut shells during this show from Thursday through Sunday at Eastern Illinois University's Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Cast memberRyan Mulvaney said getting to play King Arthur is an actor’s dream. He said the king is funny, can sing and has great comic timing, but is also resolute.

"He’s determined to assemble the Knights of the Roundtable and finish their quest for the Holy Grail," Mulvaney said. "And did I mention he can pretend to ride a horse with the best of them? Coconuts required, of course."

One of those future knights,Sir Galahad (Tyler Clark), and others that Arthur meets on his quest are dubious at first about his status as king and the magical origin of his sword Excalibur.

To try to prove his tale to Galahad, Arthur calls forth the mysterious Lady of the Lake (Karrin Estes) to recount how she set him upon his kingly path. The Lady is accompanied by a whole entourage of "Laker Girls" as she makes her grand entrance.

"The Lady of the Lake is a total diva. She is strong, sassy, and knows what she wants," said Estes, a Danville native who is a senior music education major at Eastern. "The Lady is the only female lead in this show, which gives her lots of power to do the absolute most, which I love."

Estes said she hadnever seen anything from theMonty Python comedy troupe from Great Britain before CISCO's current production, but she knew going into rehearsals that it was "absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible."

"Now that I know this show, I wholeheartedly believe that it showcases the most fun aspects of theater. It is such a fun watch for any audience," Estes said.

Mulvaney, who has been an actor, director, and/or set builder for more than 75 different productions in Central Illinois, said he was fortunate to see the original "Spamalot" cast when the show first premiered in Chicago. Then, he got to see it one other time in Chicago after it returned from New York.

For the upcoming local performances of "Spamalot," the Bement native and his castmates are working under the direction ofScott Brooks in one of CISCO's biggest productions ever. The show has more than 40 cast and crew members.

Producer Rachel Fisher noted that this large-scale production also includes CISCO's first live music in many years, with the musicians playing in a orchestra pit below the stage.

Mulvaney said "Spamalot" requires an extraordinary amount of energy and teamwork to pull off. For example, he said Monty Python was great about using actors to play multiple roles. Because of that, he said many of the CISCO actors are changing costumes seconds before they step onto the stage.

"It’s a high-energy, fun show. It hits the gas almost immediately and doesn’t let off until the final bows. If you’re willing to go along for the ride, I think you’ll have an incredibly fun time," Mulvaney said. "This entire cast is stacked with wonderfully talented actors, singers and dancers who make every scene a joy to perform."

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Doudna Fine Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Doudna Box Office at 217-581-3110 or visiting doudnatix.com.