On & Off Broadway

‘Spamilton’

Review by Elyse Trevers

Posted

Do you need to see “Hamilton” to truly enjoy “Spamilton” at the Triad? No. And yes. The 70-minute parody by Gerard Alessandrini pokes more fun at Hamilton’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda than at the show itself. It makes references to Miranda’s passion for Broadway musicals and influences (“Stephen Sondheim” makes an appearance). In fact, several of the song parodies are sung to Sondheim tunes (from West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy).

In addition, the revue makes fleeting references to other shows, past and present. Some of those shows have even been impacted by Hamilton’s success. Two young Mormons hold up the sign featuring Ben Brantley’s glowing endorsement of The Book of Mormon as The Play of the Century. Then Lin-Manuel gleefully scratches those words out. The show also introduces “performers” with no connection to the show, giving talented Nora Schell a chance to become Beyonce, J-Lo and Gloria Estefan. Producer/performer Christine Pedi makes guest appearances as Bernadette Peters and Liza M. It’s also a chance to spoof other shows by creating a mash-up of them like “An American Psycho in Paris.”

Of course, if you know Hamilton, you get more enjoyment from Daveed Diggs (Nicholas Edwards) singing about his double role in the play as well as his attractive appearance as “The Prince of Big Hair.” You will chuckle at the appearance of King George III who sings about the return of straight men to the theatre. (“Gay, gay, gay, gay gay.”) And of course there are jokes about the speed of the rap (“No one admits you can’t keep up the pace”) and the complexity of the story.

If you know and love theater, you will get a kick out of Spamilton. The lady next to me from Bellingham, Washington, knew all the words to Hamilton, but hasn’t been able to get an affordable ticket. So Spamilton may have to do. It’s the next best thing.