Arise Sir Niles
Frasier star heads Python musical
Frasier star David Hyde Pierce is to head the cast of the new Monty Python Broadway show.
He will take the part of cowardly Sir Robin in Spamalot!, the musical “lovingly ripped off from the motion picture, Monty Python And The Holy Grail”.
The part was originally played by Eric Idle, who has written the book of the new musical, which promises a chorus line of dancing divas, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and a legless knight.
The show will also star Tim Curry, star of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Hank Azaria, voice of a handful of Simpsons regulars including bartender Moe and police chief Wiggum, who will be making his Broadway debut.
They will play King Arthur and Sir Lancelot respectively, roles first made famous by Graham Chapman and John Cleese.
The show will have its world premiere in Chicago from December 21 before opening on Broadway in February next year
It will include three songs from the original 1975 film – Brave Sir Robin, He's Going to Tell; and Knights Of The Round Table – and a completely new score by Idle and composer John Du Prez.
Idle said recently: “I always had in the back of my mind that The Grail would make a good musical. We just took it up and recorded some songs and we sent it to the other Pythons and they loved it and said 'Yes, absolutely, go ahead.'"Published: 8 Jul 2004
