John Cleese News

No dear playgoers, it has not come to pass that some smart producer put up a quickie, low-budget revival of Spamalot in the Barrymore Theatre and tried cutting costs by removing all the songs. But there's definitely a Pythonic style in the look and text of Ionesco's Exit The King as co-adapted by Geoffrey Rush (who also stars) and Neil Armfield (who also directs). You can sense it in the way Brian Hutchison, as a faithfully detail-oriented armored guard, dutifully announces each royal occurrence as it happens, correcting himself, when necessary, with bellowing authority ('The King is dead.'... 'The King's alive.'... 'Long live the king.'). It's there when AndRea Martin, as a sullen, much-abused servant, makes a comic production out of trying to keep the monarchs' royal robes draped straight, and it's abundantly present when Rush, as the 400-year-old King Berenger, who is down to his last 90 minutes of life ('When the play is over you'll be dead.'), kicks up what's left of his heels in a silly little dance.

The cast has been announced for the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre engagement of 'Monty Python's Spamalot,' which will open Center Theatre Group's 2009-2010 season at the Ahmanson Theatre of the Los Angeles Music Center, July 7 through September 6, 2009.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Sunday, April 5, 2009.

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of ALT, has announced that the company has commissioned The Golden Ticket, a new opera based on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In his announcement, Edelson explained that all of Dahl's beloved characters find a unique voice in this exciting new opera. 'If thoughts of Augustus Gloop being swept away in the Chocolate River, Violet Beauregarde inflating like a giant blueberry, Mike Teavee being demagnified into the tele-dimension, and Veruca Salt being thrown down the rubbish shoot by a gang of nut-inspecting squirrels sound like your idea of a fun night at the opera - or better yet, unlike any night at the opera or theater you've ever experienced - The Golden Ticket is....just the ticket!'

The Associated Press reported the happy news that more than 3,000 theatergoers have helped actor Richard Chamberlain ring in his 75th birthday. Fans cheered Chamberlain Tuesday during the opening night of 'Spamalot' at the Palace Theater in Cleveland.

RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN reigns as King in the National Tour of Monty Python?s SPAMALOT . Richard Chamberlain wears the crown of King Arthur when he takes the stage at PlayhouseSquare, part of The U.S. Bank Star Performance Series for a one week engagement March 31 through April 5, 2009.

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, Monty Python's SPAMALOT, will return to Denver's Buell Theater for a limited one-week engagement May 13-17 starring John O'Hurley as King Arthur. Tickets go on sale Sunday, March 29 at 10am.

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, has announced that Kyrian Friedenberg, the ten-year old singer, violinist and actor most recently seen in Gypsy with Patty LuPone on Broadway, has been cast as Charlie Bucket in ALT's upcoming workshop and reading of The Golden Ticket, a new opera based on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Speaking of the young performer, Edelson said that 'Kyrian has a wonderful voice, is incredibly musical, and has charisma that is truly contagious. After hearing him sing Charlie's first act Aria from The Golden Ticket, I had no doubt that he was the right boy to bring Roald Dahl's classic character to life in our upcoming workshop.'

RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN will wear the crown of King Arthur when he takes the Atlanta stage March 17 - 22 in Monty Python's SPAMALOT at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, presented by the new Atlanta Broadway Series. Chamberlain became a household name overnight in 1961 when he played the title role of Dr. Kildare, a part he played for five years. Over the last two decades, Chamberlain has starred in six of the most acclaimed mini-series: 'Shogun,' 'Wallenberg,' 'The Thornbirds,' 'The Bourne Identity,' 'Dreamwest,' and 'Centennial.' 'Shogun' earned Chamberlain a Golden Globe Award as Best Actor, as well as an Emmy nomination. He received another Golden Globe Award, Emmy nomination, and a People's Choice Award for his work in 'The Thornbirds.'

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, has announced that Kyrian Friedenberg, the ten-year old singer, violinist and actor most recently seen in Gypsy with Patty LuPone on Broadway, has been cast as Charlie Bucket in ALT's upcoming workshop and reading of The Golden Ticket, a new opera based on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Speaking of the young performer, Edelson said that 'Kyrian has a wonderful voice, is incredibly musical, and has charisma that is truly contagious. After hearing him sing Charlie's first act Aria from The Golden Ticket, I had no doubt that he was the right boy to bring Roald Dahl's classic character to life in our upcoming workshop.'

Tickets for Monty Python's SPAMALOT, the hilarious, smash hit Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, will go on sale Friday, February 27. Monty Python's SPAMALOT will make its California premiere in San Francisco and will feature television star John O'Hurley. John O'Hurley is best known for his role as 'J. Peterman' in the hit television comedy 'Seinfeld' and currently hosts the popular game show 'Family Feud.' Monty Python's SPAMALOT will play the Golden Gate Theatre beginning Friday, May 22 through Sunday, July 5. Monty Python's SPAMALOT is presented as a part of the 2008-2009 Citibank Best of Broadway series season under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays.

Lawrence Edelson, Producing Artistic Director of ALT, has announced that the company has commissioned The Golden Ticket, a new opera based on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In his announcement, Edelson explained that all of Dahl's beloved characters find a unique voice in this exciting new opera. 'If thoughts of Augustus Gloop being swept away in the Chocolate River, Violet Beauregarde inflating like a giant blueberry, Mike Teavee being demagnified into the tele-dimension, and Veruca Salt being thrown down the rubbish shoot by a gang of nut-inspecting squirrels sound like your idea of a fun night at the opera - or better yet, unlike any night at the opera or theater you've ever experienced - The Golden Ticket is....just the ticket!'

Tickets for Monty Python's SPAMALOT, the hilarious, smash hit Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, will go on sale Friday, February 27. Monty Python's SPAMALOT will make its California premiere in San Francisco and will feature television star John O'Hurley. John O'Hurley is best known for his role as 'J. Peterman' in the hit television comedy 'Seinfeld' and currently hosts the popular game show 'Family Feud.' Monty Python's SPAMALOT will play the Golden Gate Theatre beginning Friday, May 22 through Sunday, July 5. Monty Python's SPAMALOT is presented as a part of the 2008-2009 Citibank Best of Broadway series season under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays.

Tickets for Monty Python's SPAMALOT, the hilarious, smash hit Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, will go on sale Friday, February 27. Monty Python's SPAMALOT will make its California premiere in San Francisco and will feature television star John O'Hurley. John O'Hurley is best known for his role as 'J. Peterman' in the hit television comedy 'Seinfeld' and currently hosts the popular game show 'Family Feud.' Monty Python's SPAMALOT will play the Golden Gate Theatre beginning Friday, May 22 through Sunday, July 5. Monty Python's SPAMALOT is presented as a part of the 2008-2009 Citibank Best of Broadway series season under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays.

RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN will wear the crown of King Arthur when he takes the Atlanta stage March 17 - 22 in Monty Python's SPAMALOT at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, presented by the new Atlanta Broadway Series. Chamberlain became a household name overnight in 1961 when he played the title role of Dr. Kildare, a part he played for five years. Over the last two decades, Chamberlain has starred in six of the most acclaimed mini-series: 'Shogun,' 'Wallenberg,' 'The Thornbirds,' 'The Bourne Identity,' 'Dreamwest,' and 'Centennial.' 'Shogun' earned Chamberlain a Golden Globe Award as Best Actor, as well as an Emmy nomination. He received another Golden Globe Award, Emmy nomination, and a People's Choice Award for his work in 'The Thornbirds.'

RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN reigns as King in the National Tour of Monty Python?s SPAMALOT . Richard Chamberlain wears the crown of King Arthur when he takes the stage at PlayhouseSquare, part of The U.S. Bank Star Performance Series for a one week engagement March 31 through April 5, 2009.

Center Theatre Group's 2009-2010 season at the Ahmanson Theatre is a yearlong celebration of big, lush Broadway hits, including four Tony Award-winning musicals, the 2008 winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, and a rare, limited engagement of two stage virtuosos.

Three-time Tony Award winner Frank Langella is among the American theater world's greatest living actors. Though he gained recognition as a film star in the 1970s, the stage has always been his first love.

Cleese revealed to Weintraub that he is working 'in earnest' with his daughter Camilla on the stage musical adaptation of his classic film, 'A Fish Called Wanda'. The comic legend hopes to have it finished in the next two to three years and debut it in San Diego with the hope of the production continuing on to Broadway and London's West End reports the website.

The Tony and Grammy Award winning Monty Python's Spamalot returns to Detroit's Fisher Theatre with Richard Chamberlain reigning as King Arthur for a limited two-week engagement February 3 - 15, 2009.