Moonlight Stage Productions Opens Summer Season with MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, 6/11 - Today

Moonlight Stage Productions and Artistic Director Steven Glaudini launch the 34th summer season with the hilarious Broadway musical Monty Python's SPAMALOT, presented for the first time at Moonlight, with performances from June 11 to 28 (Wednesday through Sunday nights at 8:00pm). Single tickets are priced $15 to $52 and include price levels for student rush, military, senior, and family discounts. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (760) 724-2110 or visit moonlightstage.com.

SPAMALOT is an outrageously goofy musical with an upbeat score by John Du Prez and Eric Idle and clever lyrics by Eric Idle, lovingly ripped off from the classic cult comedy film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Audiences everywhere are eating up SPAMALOT (rated PG), which pokes gentle fun at the legendary story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table on their quest for the Holy Grail, in the irreverent signature style of Monty Python. Flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen, and show-stopping musical numbers add up to one of the funniest Broadway musicals of the modern age. The 2005 Broadway production won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and received 14 Tony Award nominations. This Moonlight premiere will feature the original Broadway sets and costumes.

Directing and choreographing SPAMALOT is Brad Bradley, a graduate of O'Farrell SD-School of Creative and Performing Arts, University of Southern California, and more than 25 shows at Starlight-SDCLO. Brad was in the original Broadway cast of "Spamalot" for three years before taking over the role of Patsy on the first national tour of "Spamalot," opposite Gary Beach and Richard Chamberlain's King. His other Broadway credits include the original casts of "People in the Picture," "Annie Get Your Gun" (with Bernadette Peters & Reba McEntire), "Thou Shalt Not," "Steel Pier," and the closing Broadway cast of "Billy Elliot" and "Chita: A Legendary Celebration." His director and choreographer credits run the gamut from education and theme parks (Busch Gardens) to the tawdry ("Boylesque"). Brad was a 2013 BroadwayWorld Nominee for "Spats in Sugar" at Sacramento Music Circus. At age 12, Brad was a backup dancer for Michael Jackson in the famous Pepsi commercial.

Lyndon Pugeda returns as musical director and choreographer for "Spamalot" after working on "Nunsense" this past winter at the AVO Playhouse. He has played in many Moonlight orchestras including for "Phantom" "Miss Saigon," and "Hairspray," and was the assistant musical director for "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Who's Tommy" last summer. His musical director credits include "Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings" (New Village Arts); "The Addams Family" [world high school premiere], "Once on This Island," "Legally Blonde," "The Wedding Singer" (Rancho Buena Vista Drama); "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (Encore Youth Theatre); and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (Carlsbad High School Drama). Lyndon earned a degree in Music: Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts from the University of California, San Diego.

Rounding out the creative team are Jean Yves-Tessier as lighting designer and Chris Luessmann as sound designer, with costume coordination and execution by Roslyn Lehman, Renetta Lloyd, and Carlotta Malone. The stage manager is Stanley D. Cohen.

"Monty Python's Spamalot" is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), 570 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018. (866) 378-9758. www.theatricalrights.com

Get in the mood for "Spamalot" and attend a free showing of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" at Moonlight Amphitheatre on Friday, May 23. The movie will be projected onto a large screen on the Moonlight stage. Gates open at 7:30 pm and the movie starts at 8:30 pm. No outside food or drink are permitted in the Amphitheatre for this event.

Family Nights at the Moonlight are Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights. On these nights, lawn tickets for kids 15 and under are just $10 when accompanied by two adults. New this year is the addition of Family Night for Fridays, with kids' tickets just $15. Family Night tickets are available on night of show at the Amphitheatre box office. The Moonlight offers rush tickets for college students on the lawn beginning 30 minutes prior to every performance. Tickets are $15 per person with a valid student identification card. Single ticket discounts for seniors and military are available.

One of the most unique theatre-going experiences found anywhere is Moonlight's lawn seating, allowing patrons to bring their own picnic suppers into the theatre and picnicking before the show. Lawn ticket holders receive a chair as part of their ticket upon entry to the theatre.

The Moonlight's restaurant, the Artisan Café, is operated by Chef David Krohn. The Café offers pre-show dining outdoors on the Moonlight Patio where glimpses of the sunset can be seen before patrons take their seats for the show. The Café also offers delicious intermission snacks to all theatregoers including beverages. To view the Café's menu, visit moonlightstage.com. For information and reservations, call (760) 828-0596.

The Moonlight Ampitheatre is located at 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista, CA. Gates open for picnicking and dining 90 minutes before curtain. Non-alcoholic beverages and food may be brought into the Amphitheatre.

The award-winning Moonlight Stage Productions is the cultural arts program of the City of Vista and is produced in partnership with the Moonlight Cultural Foundation.