'Spamalot' channels Monty Python in Auditorium show

Monty Python’s Broadway musical “Spamalot” will return to the IU Auditorium for a one-night performance at 8 p.m. today.

The musical draws inspiration from notable people, moments in history and the Monty Python film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” to produce a comically serious spoof on the traditional musical.

The show centers mainly around the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. References to the Monty Python film and modern fixtures in pop culture update the ancient story and add to the comedy of the production.

Cast member Thomas DeMarcus, who has been a part of the Monty Python family by touring with “Spamalot” for the past three years, said the fond memories he had of Monty Python’s comedy made him want to be a part of this show’s traveling cast.

“I grew up on Monty Python,” DeMarcus said. “My parents instilled a comedy feed in me at young age. I also worked at a Blockbuster, and I remember watching ‘The Holy Grail.’ I’d never seen a movie like that. It was so off-the-wall and silly, but there was a real truth to it.”

DeMarcus, whose theater work has consisted mostly of dramatic plays, said the silly atmosphere found in “Spamalot” was a refreshing change of pace for his career.

“It’s so much fun to get out there and take on a silly wig or fat suit and come out and be this real person,” he said. “You’re not trying to be funny. I’m not a trained dancer by any sort, but the dancing is silly and the singing is fun. It’s not like your typical Broadway musical, which works in its favor.”

DeMarcus said he has performed this show almost 500 times in his life, but it’s the inventive comedy and the energy that the audience seems to have that makes the show feel fun and fresh every single time.

“We get a very different audience compared to most shows I’ve done,” he said. “It’s more of a frat atmosphere. There are times where one character will come on and the audience starts clapping because they know what’s coming. It makes you feel like a rock star.”

Tickets for the show are on sale at the IU Auditorium box office and start at $20 for students and $38 for the general public. DeMarcus said he encourages people to come out for the chance to escape from their lives for two hours.

“People can laugh at our silly characters and enjoy the songs,” he said. “The message of the show is to ‘always look on the bright side of life.’ I think for those two hours the audience is inside, they can expect a PG-13, very clean, family-friendly trip down memory lane for Monty Python fans.”