SPAMALOT Opens California Musical Theatre 60th Season, Runs 7/9-18

The 60th Anniversary Music Circus season opens with "Spamalot," the 2005 Tony Award-winning musical, as the first show in the 2010 60th Anniversary season. Playing for an extended run at the Wells Fargo Pavilion July 9 -18, the production features a stellar cast that includes Broadway veteran Gary Beach, who will be playing the lead role of King Arthur. Tickets are on sale now.

"Spamalot" is the hilarious musical lovingly ripped off from the 1975 smash-hit motion picture "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." "Spamalot" is an absolute treat for Python fans as well as fans of musical theatre. Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the quest to recover the long lost Holy Grail, Monty Python's "Spamalot" features a chorus line of dancing divas, a legless knight, a killer rabbit and French people. The production also promises unforgettable musical numbers such as Eric Idle and John Du Prez's upbeat anthem "Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life."

The original production of "Spamalot" opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on March 17, 2005. The production received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. Winner of the Tony Award for best musical in 2005, "Spamalot" is written by Eric Idle (an original Python) and features the Grammy Award-winning musical score and lyrics created by Idle and John Du Prez. The Music Circus production of "Spamalot" is not only the first production by an American regional theatre but also an in-the-round premiere.

Gary Beach returns to the Music Circus stage playing the role of King Arthur. Beach, who appeared at the Wells Fargo Pavilion last summer as Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls," has received Tony Award nominations for his performances on Broadway in "Beauty and the Beast," "La Cage aux Folles" and "The Producers," for which he won the supporting actor award.

Cast as Sir Lancelot is Mika Duncan, a veteran of the Broadway and Las Vegas productions of the show. Steven Strafford, another Las Vegas veteran, will play Prince Herbert. Lesli Margherita, who received an Olivier Award for her performance in London's West End production of "Zorro," will play the mysterious Lady of the Lake. Music Circus favorite John Scherer ("1776" and "Hairspray") returns as Sir Robin. Ron Bohmer, who recently starred on Broadway as Father in the revival of "Ragtime" will play Sir Galahad. The cast will also include Andy Taylor as Patsy and Ron Wisniski as Sir Bedevere, the first of his four productions this summer.

The production will be directed by California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale, a veteran of 32 Music Circus productions. Mr. Casale directed the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of "Peter Pan" and all current European productions of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Dennis Castellano is musical director with Billy Sprague Jr. choreographing.

Music Circus was founded in 1951 as the first professional musical theatre in the round west of the Mississippi. Until 2002, its first-class summer stock productions were presented under a canvas tent, the last of its kind in the country. In 2003, the company introduced its new, modern tent-theatre, the Wells Fargo Pavilion, which combines the traditional Arena Stage with improved audience comfort. Music Circus operates under a contract with Actors Equity Association, the union for professional actors in the Unites States, and the majority of the principal and ensemble cast have extensive Broadway and national tour credits.

The 2010 60th Anniversary Music Circus season will continue with "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (July 20-25), "Oklahoma!" (July 27-August 1), "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (August 3-8), "Funny Girl" (August 10-15), "The Marvelous Wonderettes" (August 17-22) and "42nd Street" (August 24-29).

Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m., and Thursday and Saturday at 2 p.m. There will be a special Sunday matinee performance on July 11. Tickets ($41-$53) for "Spamalot" are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office at 1419 H Street, Sacramento, by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at www.tickets.com. For discounts for groups of 12 or more, please call (916) 557-1198.