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''Spamilton: An American Parody'' is a musical parody of the
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
show '' Hamilton''. Written by
Gerard Alessandrini Gerard Alessandrini (born November 27, 1953) is an American playwright, parodist, actor and theatre director best known for creating the award-winning off-Broadway musical theatre parody revue '' Forbidden Broadway''. He is the recipient of ...
, creator of the parody
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...
''
Forbidden Broadway ''Forbidden Broadway'' is an Off-Broadway revue parodying musical theatre, particularly Broadway musicals. It was conceived, written and directed by Gerard Alessandrini. The original version of the revue opened on January 15, 1982, at Palsson's ...
'', ''Spamilton'' also parodies several other musicals, including ''
Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
'', ''
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
'', ''
The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...
'', '' Assassins'', ''
Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
'', ''
The Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude dat ...
'' and ''
Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet Stre ...
'', and personalities, like
Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...
,
Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...
, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz,
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
,
Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...
,
Carol Channing Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Her characters usually had a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, ...
and Liza Minnelli. The show, directed by Alessandrini, had its first preview on July 19, 2016, and opened on September 8, 2016, at New York's
Triad Theatre The Triad Theater, formerly known as Palsson's Supper Club, Steve McGraw's, and Stage 72, is a cabaret-style performing arts venue located on West 72nd Street on New York's Upper West Side. The theatre has been the original home to some of the lon ...
. Originally scheduled to run 18 performances, it was extended at the Triad until May 28, 2017. It moved on June 2, 2017, to the
47th Street Theatre 47th Street Theatre is an Off Broadway theatre venue at 304 West 47th Street in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Built as Fire Engine Company No. 54 in 1888, it was designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons for the New York City Fire Depar ...
, near the
Richard Rodgers Theatre The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Her ...
where ''Hamilton'' is presented. A
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
production of ''Spamilton'' opened at the Royal George Theatre on March 12, 2017. A production ran at the
Kirk Douglas Theatre The Kirk Douglas Theatre is a 317-seat theater located in Culver City, California. Since 2004, it has been operated by the Center Theatre Group. History Built in 1946, as a Streamline Moderne movie palace with a seating capacity of 1,160 (on a ...
in Culver City from November 5, 2017, to January 7, 2018, shortly before a national tour.Clement, Olivia
"Spamilton Will Play Around the Corner from the Broadway Home of ''Hamilton'' and Tour the U.S."
''Playbill'', April 11, 2017
A production opened in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
at the
Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Boro ...
running from July 24 (previews from July 12) to September 15, 2018.


Musical numbers

* " Lin-Manuel as Hamilton" * " Aaron Burr, Sir, Nervous-er" * "His Shot" * "Look Around (The Schuyler Puppets)" * "Lin-Manuel's Quest" * "Ticket Beggar Woman" * "Straight Guy's Winter's Prom" * "Straight is Back" * "What Did You Miss?" * "
Ben Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading intel ...
, Sondheim & Lin-Manuel" * "
Daveed Diggs Daveed Daniele Diggs (born January 24, 1982) is an American actor, rapper, and singer-songwriter. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping, and in 2015, he originated the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jeffer ...
- The Fresh Prince of Big Hair" * "Rap Battle" * "Ticket Beggar Woman #2" * " Liza's 'Down With Rap'" * "Ticket Beggar Woman #3" * "One Big Song" (Written for Los Angeles production) * "In the Hype" * "Lin-Manuel &
J-Lo Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
, Beyoncé & Gloria Estefan" * "Book of No More Mormons" * "Broadway Assassins" * "Cool Duel" * "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cries" * "Lin-Manuel's
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
" * "The Film When It Happens" * "Finale: Raise a Glass to Broadway" * "Encore: Our Shot"


Recordings


Original off-Broadway cast album (2017)

The original off-Broadway cast recording for ''Spamilton'' was released by
DRG Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had ...
on March 3, 2017.


Original casts

The show has the most racially diverse cast of any of Alessandrini's productions.


Critical response

''Spamilton'' received positive reviews from critics. In his review of the Off-Broadway production,
Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...
in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' called it a "smart, silly and often convulsively funny thesis, performed by a motor-mouthed cast that is fluent in many tongues". Frank Scheck, in his review of the Off-Broadway production for ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'', wrote the musical "is so infectiously fun that it could easily run as long as its inspiration."
Marilyn Stasio Marilyn Stasio is a New York City author, writer and literary critic. She has been the "Crime Columnist" for ''The New York Times Book Review'' since about 1988,Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', wrote, "Like the original show, the pants are tight, the boots are shiny, the bosoms are uplifting and the vests show just enough chest to look manly. Switch-hitting as director/choreographer, Alessandrini assigns his performers signature moves that make each character look authentic, if ever-so-slightly goofy. Getting those physical details right lays the groundwork for the witty character impersonations to come." ''Hamilton'' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Thomas Kail both attended a performance. Miranda praised the parody, saying, "I laughed my brains out."


Awards


References


External links

*{{Official website, spamilton.com Hamilton (musical) Off-Broadway musicals 2016 musicals Musical parodies