Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"..."Spamalot" (billed as "lovingly ripped off" from Eric Idle's 1975 movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail") is more a series of comic sketches than worthwhile story. That doesn't much matter. Director L. Walter Stearns is faithful to this swamp of silliness by Idle (book, lyrics, music) and composer John Du Prez. Python's beloved bits about rabbits (both killer and Trojan) and rude Frenchmen are in capable hands."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Python fans will delight in the familiar jokes, the amazing set by scenic designer Angela Weber Miller, and the outrageous costumes by designer Tim Hatley. Director L. Walter Stearns stages numbers like "I Am Not Dead Yet" masterfully. Karl Hamilton, Adam Fane, and David Sajewich shine in an over-the-top riotous scene as Sir Lancelot, Herbert, and Herbert's Father, respectively."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...It’s at least a chuckle a minute. Half the hilarity is verbal sallies, half sight gags. This cheeky, subversive, and unashamedly sidesplitting Spamalot, described in the press release as “ridiculous men in tight pants,” is a labor of laughter. Its irreverence feels contagious, its target-shooting flawless. Nothing is spared its satire as it punctures pomposity and slaughters sacred cows. Medieval mockery is just so 2019."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...There is wildness on Southport Avenue! This time, it is not the "Miracle" of the Cubs playing amazing baseball, but it is The Mercury Theater Chicago, taking us to the incredible, fictional place known as "Camelot", the wild and wooly musical that was "lovingly" ripped off from the motion picture "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"created by the zany Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez. For those of you who grew up watching the antics of Python's crew on television, you know just how crazy they were and can anticipate almost every sight gag that takes place. I have a deep feeling that Director L. Walter Stearns was indeed a Python addict."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...So search no further for the Holy Grail of musical comedies. It’s currently playing in a deliciously decadent production on Southport Avenue. This successfully popular adaptation of the Monty Python cult film rewards its millions of adoring fans in this new musical production, which was a huge Chicago hit a few years ago during its out-of-town tryout. It later took Broadway and London by storm, earning an unprecedented 14 Tony nominations, and ultimately winning the title of Best Musical. Now returning in a much-welcome production at the Mercury Theater, this irreverent musical adaptation of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is as much of a crowd-pleaser as the original, and it’s more fun than, well, a bloodthirsty biting bunny or a catapulting cow."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The show is loaded with in jokes some viewers might not get and total enjoyment of the show does require tolerance for silliness and gross out humor. And there might be a bit of audience uneasiness over the Jews number, though I thought it was the cleverest song in the score. But the show is so disarming in its audacity and so sharp in its wit and satire that it can be recommended without hesitation. L. Walter Stearns has done it again!"
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Yet again, Stearns and Dizon put forward a neighborhood-venue musical that holds up against any show on any stage in the metropolis. Anyone who might find a good time taking in the "musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'" won't find a better production than the one happening six times a week in Wrigleyville."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...Spamalot is one of the most absurd plays ever to hit the Great White Way, and that may well be the source of its appeal. Sometimes you just want to go to the theatre to laugh and have a good time. Mercury Theatre’s version is high-energy, rollicking fun, and it has just been extended to run through Dec. 29, so you have lots of time to see it. Make it a holiday show; it may be a bit coarse at times, but its silliness will leave you smiling (and whistling “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”) as you go."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...The terrific cast of 14–framed in a fanciful Angie Weber Miller set and decked out in ingenious Tim Hatley costumes–charge head-long into the memorable material and rousing ensemble dance numbers by choreographer Shanna Vanderwerker. From the simplicity of skipping the rules and strategically-placed fruit to a rip-roaring finale, this “Spamalot” is a visual feast fit for a king!"
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...If you’ve never seen “Holy Grail,” you’ll still enjoy this show, but you’d be advised to see the movie first so you can understand the multitude of “in” jokes. Because, believe me, audiences for this show will know all the “ni” jokes. These fans easily rival those of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” or “The Room,” though you won’t need a list of interactive activities or toast. Unlike other shows built from cinematic source material, “Spamalot” contains a lot without having a substantial plot. You could easily get lost in this sketch comedy-esque musical. But don’t worry about it, it really doesn’t matter."
