Review Roundup: The Critics Weigh In On Hamilton Parody SPAMILTON

Spamilton, a sneak peek into Forbidden Broadway creator, Gerard Alessandrini's ongoing obsession with Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, much like its source material, has taken off-Broadway by storm. The musical, which promises an evening that celebrates, roasts and eviscerates the Broadway blockbuster, celebrates its official opening night tonight.

Let's see what the critics had to say!

Ben Brantley, The New York Times- "This smart, silly and often convulsively funny thesis, performed by a motor-mouthed cast that is fluent in many tongues, is the work of that eminent specialist in Broadway anatomy, pathology and gossip, Gerard Alessandrini.As the creator of the "Forbidden Broadway" series of satirical revues, which began in 1982, Mr. Alessandrini has emerged as one of the mainstream musical's most incisive and illuminating critics and historians."

Matt Windman- AM New York- ""Spamilton" is fun, no doubt about it. After a year and a half of gushing critical acclaim and countless awards, it feels good - in fact, downright cathartic - to take a step back and poke fun at the history-themed musical for an hour or so."

David Cote, Time Out NY- "The bulk of the show is carried by a jaw-dropping ensemble in multiple roles: Chris Anthony Giles as a scheming and cynical Leslie Odom Jr; Nicholas Edwards baring his chest and a hundred-watt smile as a raffish Daveed Diggs; Juwan Crawley, who has a dulcet choirboy tenor; and the formidable Nora Schell as all the ladies, juggling the Schuyler sisters with two hand puppets. They drive the hilarity all 75 minutes; the laughs are huge and nonstop, and let's face it: Spamilton may be the closest you get to Hamilton without going broke or waiting for years."

Peter Marks, Washington Post- "For this new show, which had its official opening Thursday night, Alessandrini directs his sharpest barbs at the attitude of genuflecting theatergoers, who've elevated the musical to near-mystical status. To wit, he reworks the musical's hip-hop score as the story not of Alexander Hamilton's rise, but of Miranda's. "Lin-Manuel as Hamilton," goes the opening number, sung to the tune of the musical's "Alexander Hamilton." "That's me, I'm Lin-Manuel as Hamilton. And there's a million rhymes I haven't trashed but/ Just you wait! Just you wait!""

Linda Winer, Newsday- "Nora Schell has an unstoppable, powerful voice and the wit to match as a variety of female characters, but mostly as Angelica Schuyler, one of the three sisters in "Hamilton." Significantly, the other siblings are Angelica's hand puppets. Nicholas Edwards has the huge hair and even bigger insolent charm as he channels Daveed Diggs, the charismatic actor who created the roles of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson."

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter- "Gerard Alessandrini has been spoofing Broadway shows for more than three decades with his popular Forbidden Broadway musical revues, but it took a genuine sensation likeHamilton to get him to focus his attention on a single production. The resulting parody, cheekily dubbed Spamilton, is so infectiously fun that it could easily run as long as its inspiration."

David Finkle- Huffington Post- "If this reviewer had to be pressed for the stand-out trouper: it's Schell. Tall, gorgeous and blessed with a belt that reaches New Jersey, she's the lucky one who gets the "Another Hundred People" poke. Then there's her late and surprising Barbra Streisand mimicking (that's "Streisand" with a soft "s"), wherein she also gives the laudable Pedi a run for her money."

To post a comment, you must register and login.