Day 335- Spamilton: An American Parody- An Atomic Toast to Broadway-CLO

The January “ticket” in Pittsburgh was Hamilton and now we have a summer of CLO’s Spamilton: An American Parody at the intimate Greer Cabaret Theater.  This city, like others, was a bit crazed during the run of Hamilton and I wondered if this parody would just be a show riding on the coattails of a hit. Spamilton was more like an atomic bomb of action, song, wit, and dance that played homage to the birth of this musical and other Broadway shows. It was a cocktail of fun and laughter.

Reflection

If you did not get a “golden ticket” to Hamilton you will not be left in a fog at Spamilton. The show gives you the motor-mouthed rap and rhythms of Hamilton mixed with melodies as it satires the birth of trying something new in the mighty Broadway jungle. In the show, New York bound Lin-Maunel Miranda (the creator of Hamilton) hears inspirational voices and, in an energetic rap, he decides that he will not let Broadway be his solution but will  “rise up.”

Exaggerating the commercialized big production musicals, this show gives a hysterical lampoon mash-up of  other Broadway productions, Willy Wonka, Lion King, Wicked, Phantom, Cats,  Aladdin and more. Broadway Divas, Bernadette Peters, Carol Channing. Liza Milli and icon, Barbra Streisand (all amazingly played by Erin Ramirez) make appearances. 

 Miranda (T.J. Newton) reminds us that he is creating something “better than the glitz” with history as his subject being “controversial not commercial”. Ben Franklin (Justin Lonesome) advises him to be careful with the rap that he uses because, if it confuses than  no one will listen.  In one of my favorite jazzy numbers, the cast sings about the lightning pace of rapping: “what did you miss…with lyrics that go so fast leaving you in the abyss?”

Spamilton’s talented cast never stop moving for over 90 minutes. There is even a tap dancing number. They all transformed into multiple  characters as they performed  rap, hip hop, ragtime, reggae and jazz while telling the story of Hamilton’s success.

Hamilton junkies, musical lovers and those of us that enjoy a good laugh, should experience Spamilton that stirs show biz into an explosive cocktail toasting Broadway and the birth of  better musicals. 

(Spamilton runs from May 14 through August 14, 2019 at the Greer Cabaret Theater. For tickets and more from Pittsburgh CLO go to pittsburghclo.org.

Spiritual Source

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression;bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause (Isaiah 1:17)

Other Sources

 https://www.pittsburghclo.org/shows/spamilton

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