Why Monty Python’s Spamalot Tour May Be the Last Chance to Experience This Hilarious Classic!

NEW YORK – Eric Idle, the iconic founding member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, often gazes into the cosmos and ponders a profound question: if we ever make contact with aliens, will they have a sense of humor? “I think the answer must be yes,” he muses. “It’s about self-awareness. It’s about laughing at yourself and your own death and your inevitable end, which you can do nothing about.” Until such intergalactic connections are made, Idle remains steadfast in his mission on Earth: to spread laughter. He is currently embarking on a national tour of his hit musical, Spamalot, which kicks off this week in Ohio.

“I think laughter is essential, and it’s both a relief and a corrective on how to look at life,” Idle says, encapsulating the universal power of humor. This tour will see him perform in over 30 cities across the United States, including major hubs like Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Houston, and Milwaukee.

Idle believes that the comedy musical is the most fabulous form of theater, stating, “It can have drama, but also laughter, dancing, girls. It’s got it all.” Spamalot is a whimsical romp featuring knights obsessed with shrubbery, characters clapping coconuts to simulate horse hoof sounds, a singing and dancing plague victim, flatulent Frenchmen, and even killer rabbits. The show is loosely based on the beloved 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which follows King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus drank at The Last Supper.

Reflecting on the original film, Idle recalls, “It cost $400,000 to make,” partly funded by members of legendary rock groups like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. The film was shot in Scotland over five weeks. “It was cold and miserable, but it was funny,” Idle adds with a chuckle.

The inspiration for Spamalot came when Idle was working on a CD-ROM game based on The Holy Grail. He realized, “Wait a minute, if you could turn The Holy Grail into a game, you can certainly turn it into a Broadway musical.” Idle wrote the story and lyrics, while the music was composed by John Du Prez. The show’s success can be attributed to the involvement of legendary director Mike Nichols, whom Idle credits with knowing “everything about funny.” Spamalot made its Broadway debut in 2005 and won the Tony Award for Best New Musical.

In a retrospective look, Idle discovered long-forgotten diaries chronicling the challenges behind bringing Spamalot to life. He has published these insights in a book titled The Spamalot Diaries, which he describes as “a sort of how-to about making a musical.” Among the show’s most memorable moments are the Act II opening song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” borrowed from another Python film, Life of Brian, and the exuberant final number, “Find Your Grail,” which delivers the uplifting message, “Keep your eyes on the goal/Then the prize you won’t fail/That’s your grail.”

One of Idle's favorite memories from the Broadway run is witnessing audiences leave the theater singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” while clicking coconuts, a merchandise item inspired by the show. “If you can just brighten people’s lives to be silly in the street immediately afterwards, I think you’ve done a great job,” he reflects. “Not many shows do that.”

The comedic genius of Monty Python—composed of Idle, Michael Palin, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Graham Chapman—redefined comedy with its unique blend of satire, surrealism, and silliness in a series that aired from 1969 to 1974 and in various films thereafter. As Idle continues his mission across the country, his commitment to laughter remains unwavering, reminding us all of the joy and relief that humor can bring to our lives.