For those of us too young to be able to enjoy an actual “live” evening with the Monty Python troupe (those PBS re-runs of MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS had to do), Eric Idle has decided to celebrate the 40th Anniversary with AN EVENING WITHOUT MONTY PYTHON.
Hence, no John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Idle himself nor Graham Chapman (whose still dead) — just a bunch of other actors filling in (quite nicely at that) with a comprehensive production featuring the best silly bits, musical numbers and of course the “Dead Parrot” sketch which feel as fresh and original as the day the dropped on the BBC.
The Los Angeles run (which began last night) runs until October 4th at the Montalban Theatre and then it moves to New York at the Town Hall from October 6th through the 10th.
Jane Leeves introduces the show asking “Who is Monty Python and why hasn’t he gone away?”
After a little under an hour and half, the reason is clear why these comedy genises refuse to fade – Monty Python was simply one of the funniest sketch comedy troupes ever conceived. And even with Leeves, Jeff B. Davis, Alan Tudyk, Rick Holmes and Jim Piddock serving as stand-ins for the real deal, these adept performers manage to catch every nuance, every tic, every crazy word puzzle with precision and still have you clamoring for more.
Idle (who also brought MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL to the stage as SPAMALOT) co-directs this with BT McNicholl and it’s a blast to watch these sketches resuscitated back to life. The free form, non-sequiter approach that benefited the TV series so well is re-assembled in similar fashion stage. Sketches randomly end for no apparent reason and some bleed into the next with no rhyme or reason.
Idle has also updated some of the sketches with a few new pop cultural references (such as Dyson Vacuums and a nod to Neil Patrick Harris), while regional in-jokes regarding Burbank, West Hollywood and screenwriters are tossed in for a few hearty laughs as well.
But more important is the selection of the sketches. In addition to the aforementioned “Dead Parrot” sketch, Idle makes sure he hits all the greatest hits. From “The Ministry of Silly Walks,” “The Spanish Inquisition,” the Spam chant and of course “The Lumberjack Song.” There are also a few obscure bits peppered in as well making the night a full course meal.
While some of the actors do have the occasional physical resemblance to the various Python members – Tudyk as Chapman, Davis as Cleese, Holmes as Palin, and Paddock as both Idle and Jones – the sketches vary who plays what from the original incarnations, allowing the new actors to make each sketch their own.
It’s a hard act to follow, but these actors are phenomenal and the fact that it works so well is a testament to how bloody talented they are. A lot of hard work went into bringing their own energy to such tried and true (and overly familiar sketches).
Of the stand-out moments, Holmes gets to re-enact the “Travel Agent” sketch from the show and goes off on a long involved tangent that never quite stops. Tudyk (a Joss Whedon regular on FIREFLY and DOLLHOUSE) gets to showcase what a truly underrated performer he is. He’s flawless throughout the show and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was British. He is given the Cleese part in the Parrot sketch, but takes it into surprisingly darker and more intense territories. It’s a signature moment for him and he delivers it with zeal.
Reports are starting to find their way to the internet from members of the live audience present for the filming of the still unnamed pilot.? The filming took five hours and all the audience seats were filled.? Thanks to Joss’d for this report – link to full review below.
…I don?t want to spoil the pilot for anyone who is interested in watching, but it (not surprisingly) feels a lot like Will & Grace.? Even though I haven?t watched a lot of that show, the feel is very Will & Grace-y. I do like Josh and Alan together, I think they play off each other well and you do feel like these two characters are very good friends. Alan seemed (to biased old me) to steal the show with his performances. I was reminded again what a FACIAL actor he is. His body language speaks volumes and many times the larger laughs were because of his expressions (without dialogue)…
…Now, to Alan?s wardrobe. It really suited his body type, his hair and his eyes. I really like Alan in the more professional attire, which he wears throughout this episode. I particularly like his first wardrobe which was a blue shirt that really brought out his eyes. I?ve never noticed that Alan has great eyes until I saw him in that shirt (and, least you think I?m a raving Tudyk fangirl, I really am not – I just really liked that shirt).
Alan likes to run through his lines right before the director starts the scene. I watched him several times as he was running through and he also tries out different emphasizes and different facial expressions as he goes through them.
I think Alan?s character (Drew) had some of the best lines…
I love Alan, He’s sooo funny, he is right on his comic cues, In Firefly and Serenity, he does a great job playing the “boy next door meets the uprising comic”. I really see him going far, he’s obviously talented, and very good looking. I can’t wait to see what comes up next with him. I’d love to see Firefly picked back up, I think it would be unprecedented and wonderful!!!
Again, Alan is very talented, handsome, and charming in his roll as “Wash” and I look forward to seeing more of thim in the future.
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Alan Tudyk is a good comic actor. He plays the comic characters very well, but he can play the serious moments very well also. He was the pilot, Wash, in Firefly and Serenity and he did a great job as that character. He had plenty of good funny moments and he just did a great job. I’ve also seen him in his gues appearance on CSI and it was pretty weird seeing him as that character; however, he played the character well and really creeped me out. That’s the most serious I’ve ever seen him act and he did well; his career should really grow. I’ve also seen him in 3:10 to Yuma as the doctor/vet and he was just halarious in that movie. It’s funny that the two movies I’ve seen him in he’s died…hmmm…anyways, he’s a great actor and has a wide range of talent.
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One of the single most amazing actors I’ve ever seen. More than just a funny guy. Mr. Tudyk has impressed me.
I first saw him as Wat in “A Knight’s Tail” and instantly loved him! Then my Dad and brother introduced me to Firefly, and I couldn’t get enough of it! His comedic roles are outstanding!
However, today I was blown away. I saw him in CSI (I believe the episode is called “Burn Out”) and I was completely stunned. He doesn’t get enough credit for his character acting because everyone sees him as the funny guy. He played a child molester. A CREEPY child molester. He played his role so convincingly that I actually began to dislike him! And then he turns it around so fast! You begin to feel for the slime-ball criminal he plays! Oh, it was a completely mind blowing experience to see him in such a contrasting role.
…[Death at a Funeral] has little bits of all kinds of humor, including slapstick and physical humor, as well as conventional and dialogue. I kept laughing nearly every minute without a single dry moment, only a feat few other comedies have matched, including Borat, Shaun of the Dead, and Office Space. In addition, this is Alan Tudyk’s true mainstream calling – if everyone doesn’t recognize his incredible talent after seeing this, then they must’ve seen the wrong film. I couldn’t wait to see his character again on screen when he wasn’t in a scene, and even though the comedy kept up at the same level throughout, Tudyk just made the film that much better. Without spoiling the surprises too much, Tudyk delivers the best drugged-up comedic character I’ve ever seen…
A talented and hard-working actor who can bring warmth and comedy to a hugely diverse range of acting roles both on the small and big screen, and in theatre.
Alan Tudyk is one of those actors who you definitely have seen in something. From animation to science-fiction, westerns, drama, comedy, musicals, he’s pretty much done it all.
Alan began his career in the theatre, where a passion for acting led him to a wide range of roles in local, regional and national productions in the US. His versatility did not go un-noticed ; he gained rave reviews in many productions, and went on to take a small role in movie Patch Adams.
Alan appeared in the Sandra Bullock comedy drama 28 Days, where his performance as Gerhardt the gay German drug addict so delighted audiences that the studio re-shot the ending to give closure to Gerhardt’s story arc. An exectutive once commented to Alan that “The audience were liking you more than Sandy.”
Tudyk’s breakthrough role was the action comedy A Knight’s Tale, starring Heath Ledger as a squire who masquerades as a Knight to compete in a championship joust. Coming off the back of the high profile role in 28 Days, this film marked Alan as a comedic character actor who could easily steal the scene from the leading man.
Shortly after A Knight’s Tale, Alan won the part of the affable pilot Wash in Joss Whedon’s short lived sci-fi drama Firefly. The show was cancelled after 14 episodes, but gained such a huge audience on DVD that it was made into a feature length film, Serenity. Serenity mad number 1 in the UK box office and was accompanied by a huge viral marketing campaign as ardent fans of the series pushed for its success.
For some, Alan will always be Wash. Given the opportunity to spread a role over more than 2 hours, Alan’s ability to diversify his role from comedy to drama to action and romance made him a firm favourite with fans, and demonstrated the full range of his acting talent.
Tudyk’s high profile roles in Dodgeball : A True Underdog Story and I,Robot have garnered more respect and a new legion of fans. His good nature and humility are well-known, and he will surely be able to capitalise further on his immense versatility and talent.