[NEohioPAL] PRESS RELEASE: CVLT presents Monty Python's SPAMALOT April 1-30

[Chagrin Valley Little Theatre via NEohioPAL]

  *PRESS RELEASE*
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 3/17/16

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact: Andrew Rothman
From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

40 River Street
Chagrin Falls, OH 44122
Phone: 440-247-8955
E-mail: cvlt at cvlt.org <mailto:cvlt at cvlt.org>
Website: www.cvlt.org <http://www.cvlt.org/>

PHOTOS available for download at www.CVLT.org/promo 
<http://www.CVLT.org/promo>


      Chagrin Valley Little Theatre presents MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT
      April 1-30
      A musical parody that asks you to 'always look on the bright side
      of life'

CHAGRIN FALLS, OH – The Chagrin Valley Little Theatre will present 13 
performances of the musical comedy SPAMALOT, written by Eric Idle and 
John Du Prez, on the main stage at 40 River Street in Chagrin Falls, 
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays April 1-30 (not including April 3).

"Always look on the bright side of life." We should all heed the advice 
of this musical number from SPAMALOT, the irreverent parody of the King 
Arthur legend, which was "lovingly ripped off" by Monty Python's own 
Eric Idle from their 1975 comedy juggernaut "Monty Python and the Holy 
Grail." This semi-adaptation of the film went on to win the Tony Award 
for Best Musical in 2005.

CVLT's staging is directed by Michael Rogan and choreographed by Jen 
Justice, with musical direction by Lynne Provance.

The show offers a cast of broadly goofy characters, including rude 
Frenchmen, cancan dancers, killer rabbits, catapulting cows, the Lady of 
the Lake (and her Laker Girls), along with the knights of the "very, 
very round table," who are on their quest to find the elusive Holy Grail.

"SPAMALOT is the exploration of silly with dialogue and dancing," Rogan 
said. "The humor builds. The more seriously the actors take their roles, 
the funnier it is. British humor is situational. You have these 
characters placed in absurd circumstances. Americans, on the other hand, 
get their humor thrown at them. They expect a punch line. Audiences can 
also expect some bawdy British humor, such as the obligatory girl in her 
underwear being chased by an older man."

Fans of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" can also expect references to 
classic television skits like the Lumberjack Song, Spam, and the Dead 
Parrot will be easy to spot. And musical theater lovers can see some of 
Broadway's cherished musicals skewered along the way, including spoofs 
of Andrew Lloyd Weber, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, Man of La 
Mancha, Les Misérables and The Producers.

"The difficult thing about directing SPAMALOT is that it is iconic," 
explains Rogan. "It has significant die-hard fans who expect to see 
certain things. You can't mess with it. It has to be pure. Usually, I 
take pride in adding something to a play that's not scripted - to 
improve upon it. In this case, I can't, or I'll risk alienating the 
audience. The play is entirely in the dialogue and there are no 
throw-away lines."

The director is confident in his actors' energy and in the quality of 
the comedy. He adds that his favorite Monty Python character is the 
"French Taunter," who fans of the original film will recall ruthlessly 
thwarts King Arthur's efforts to overtake a castle with his silly 
epithets and an outr-r-r-r-ageous French accent.

CVLT's cast includes Don Bernardo as 'King Arthur', Brian Diehl as 
'Patsy', Brian Pichola as 'Sir Robin', Collen O'Leary as 'Lady of the 
Lake', and Max Macesich as 'Sir Lancelot' and the 'French Taunter'. Ron 
Davis is 'Sir Galahad', Jim Wolf is 'Sir Bedevere', and Rob Walter is 
'Historian' and 'Not Dead Fred'.

The ensemble includes Alison Arko, Elyse Mulvaney, Ellie Kelly, Evelyn 
DeLiso, Alana Benedict, Kevin Cline, Rollin Devere, III, Dave Mantle, 
Travis Reilly, Ricarda Harnischmacher, Genny Vince, Brenda Willis, Ben 
Mulvaney, Tom Mulvaney and John Barron-Wright.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights throughout April, 
and 2 p.m. April 10, 17 and 24. Tickets are $20 for adults and $16 for 
seniors and students. Discounts are available for groups of 10 people 
and more, including fundraising opportunities. Visit CVLT in person or 
online at CVLT.org for tickets, or call 440-247-8955 between 1-6 p.m. 
Monday-Saturday.

CVLT is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga 
Arts and Culture and supported by the Ohio Arts Council. CVLT is a proud 
member of the American Association of Community Theatre and the Ohio 
Community Theatre Association.

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