MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT will run on the main stage from August 30 through November 3. The press opening is Sunday, September 8 at 7pm. Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, featuring ridiculous men in tight pants - not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. SPAMALOT will feature the creative talents of Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Director) and Shanna VanDerwerker (Choreographer).
Leading the cast of SPAMALOT is Jonah Winston as King Arthur and Meghan Murphy as The Lady of the Lake. SPAMALOT also features Adam Ross Brody (Sir Robin), Erica Evans (Ensemble), Adam Fane (Prince Herbert), Sean Fortunato (Sir Lancelot), Greg Foster (Patsy), Emma Parssi (Ensemble), Brandon Pisano (Ensemble), David Sajewich (Sir Galahad), Colter Schmidt (Ensemble), Dan Smeriglio, (Sir Bedevere), Ariel Triunfo (Ensemble) and Cameron Turner (Ensemble).
Jonah Winston, Meghan Murphy, Sean Fortunato, Greg Foster
The creative team includes Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Director), Shanna Van DerWerker (Choreographer), Angela Miller (Set Designer), Denice Karczewski (Lighting Designer), Carl Wahlstrom (Sound Designer) and the Original Broadway Costume Design by Tim Hatley. Kristi J. Martens is the Production Stage Manager assisted by Casie Morell.
SPAMALOT is an irreverent musical of the legend of King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail.Spurred on by a plague with a 50% chance of pestilence and famine, Arthur recruits knights to accompany him on his quest in pursuit of the salvation of Camelot, and their own destinies. Along the way they encounter crazy shenanigans including the Lady of the Lake and her Laker Girls, flatulent Frenchmen with flying cows and blood thirsty, killer rabbits. Created by Eric Idle, John Du Prez and Neil Innes, the Broadway production of SPAMALOT won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was followed by two successful West End runs. The show was originally developed and received its world-premiere in Chicago. Mercury Theater Chicago’s production marks its triumphant return to the city where improvisational comedy began.
SPAMALOT runs from August 30 through November 3. The press opening is Sunday, September 8 at 7pm. The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 8pm, Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Individual tickets range from $40-$80 and are available online at www.MercuryTheaterChicago.com, over the phone at 773.325.1700, or in person at the Mercury Theater box office at 3745 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago.
About the Cast of SPAMALOT:
JONAH D. WINSTON (King Arthur) is overjoyed and honored to be returning to Mercury Theater Chicago where he was recently heard/seen as The Voice of Audrey II in Mercury's hit production of Little Shop of Horrors! Jonah also appeared as the often misunderstood Trekkie Monster in Mercury's 2018 smash production of Avenue Q. A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, some of Jonah's favorite Chicago credits include A Christmas Carol (The Goodman Theatre), The Merry Widow (Lyric Opera of Chicago), and Parade (Writers Theatre). Jonah has also worked regionally at The Cleveland Playhouse, The Indiana Repertory Theatre, The Green House Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Porchlight Music Theatre, American Blues Theatre, and Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre. Television and Voice Over credits include Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Senor Wolley, Skittles, Kool Aid, and Nestle. Jonah holds duel Bachelor’s Degrees in Theatre Performance and Vocal Music from the Butler University Jordan College of the Arts, as well as a Master of Letters Degree from the Flinders University Drama Center in Adelaide, South Australia.
MEGHAN MURPHY (Lady of the Lake) is thrilled to return to Mercury Theater Chicago after holding her one woman show The Big Red Show and Meghan Murphy Presents: CommUNITY! (A Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride) at the Venus Cabaret Theater this past June. Select Chicago Theater credits include: Mamma Mia! (Marriott Theater, Jeff Award nomination), City of Angels (Marriott Theater, Jeff Award nomination), Smokey Joe's Cafe (Drury Lane Theater, Jeff Award nomination), and Hazel (World Premiere, Drury Lane). Regional Credits Include: The Drowsy Chaperone (Peninsula Players), Something Wicked This Way Comes (World Premiere, Delaware Theater Company), Hair (Arizona Theater Company), Shout, Smokey Joe's Cafe', And The World Goes 'Round (NCL Ships). Film: Captive State (Focus Features/Participant Media, 2019). A proud member of Stewart Talent, Meghan tours The Big Red Show and her original holiday show Big Red & The Boys around the country and now internationally with Azamara Club Cruises. www.meghanmurphybigred.com
ADAM ROSS BRODY (Sir Robin, Swamp Guard, Maynard) is thrilled to be making his Mercury Theater Chicago debut with Spamalot! Chicago credits include: A Funny Thing Happened… (Metropolis PAC), A Gentleman’s Guide... (Porchlight Music Theatre), Aesop’s Fables (Raven
Theatre), Spring Awakening (Blank Theatre Company), The Polar Express Train Ride (Rail Events Productions), and Something in the Game (American Music Theatre Project). Regional credits include: Joseph…, South Pacific, Cats (Interlakes Theatre), and The Little Mermaid (Prescott Park). As a teaching artist, Adam works with Mudlark Theater and Stages Performing Arts. He is a recent graduate of Northwestern University and is proudly represented by Shirley Hamilton.
ERICA EVANS (Ensemble) makes her Mercury Theater Chicago debut with Spamalot! Other regional credits include: 42nd Street (The Ordway), A Chorus Line, A Funny Thing...Forum (Porchlight Music Theatre), 42nd Street, Chicago, Crazyfor You, South Pacific, and Hazel! (Drury Lane), Mamma Mia! (Marriott Theatre), The Producers,Oklahoma! (Paramount Theatre), The Little Mermaid (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Anything Goes, and Damn Yankees (Music Theatre Works). www.ericaevans.net
ADAM FANE (Prince Herbert, Historian, Not Dead Fred, Minstrel, French Guard 1) is elated to be back at the Mercury after appearing in Pippin last year in the Venus Cabaret Theater, and in Avenue Q in 2014 on the Mercury stage! Credits include Rock of Ages (National Tour); Jersey Boys (Norwegian); The Producers, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray & Mary Poppins (Paramount Theatre); Billy Elliot: The Musical (Porchlight Music Theatre); Gypsy, Shrek: The Musical, & Ride the Cyclone (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Cabaret (Theater at the Center); First Date (Royal George Theater); Avenue Q (Principal Actor in a Musical - Jeff nomination, NightBlue); Ms. Blakk for President (Steppenwolf). Film and TV credits include: Canal Street and Chicago PD (NBC). Adam is represented by DDO Artists Chicago.
SEAN FORTUNATO (Sir Lancelot, French Taunter, Knight of Ni, Tim the Enchanter) is thrilled to make his Mercury Theater Chicago debut! Selected credits include Matilda (Drury Lane Theatre), Twelfth Night, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, The Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler, The Real Thing, Travels with my Aunt (Writers Theatre), 2666, Measure for Measure (Goodman Theatre), Cabaret (Theatre at the Center), over two dozen shows with Chicago Shakespeare Theater including King Charles III and Book of Joseph, and thirteen seasons with Peninsula Players, WI, where he played George in Sunday in the Park with George. TV/Film credits include Chicago PD (NBC), Chicago Med (NBC) and The Merry Gentlemen directed by Michael Keaton. Sean has received six Joseph Jefferson nominations and an After Dark Award.
GREG FOSTER (Patsy, Mayor of Finland, Swamp Guard) is sincerely grateful to be returning to Mercury Theater Chicago after appearing in Company in the Venus Cabaret Theater and to have the opportunity to tackle this character who is very near and dear to his heart. Other Chicago area credits include: Spamalot (TATC); Floyd Collins (BoHo Theatre); and Assassins & Full Monty (Kokandy Productions). Film credits include Harry Had A Plan and Stiletto. Greg is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.
EMMA PARSSI (Ensemble) is delighted to be making her Mercury Theater Chicago debut with Spamalot! Credits include: Can Can (Porchlight Music Theatre) and Do Re Mi (Porchlight Music Theatre). She recently graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
BRANDON PISANO (Ensemble) is absolutely thrilled and honored to be making his Mercury Theater Chicago debut with Spamalot! Recent credits include: The Producers (Paramount Theatre), South Pacific (Drury Lane), The Polar Express Train Ride (Rail Events Inc.) and The Bridges of Madison County (BrightSide Theatre). Brandon graduated with a BA in Musical Theatre from Elmhurst College. Brandon is represented by Shirley Hamilton Inc.
DAVID SAJEWICH (Sir Dennis Galahad, Black Knight, Herbert's Father) is excited to be returning to Mercury Theater Chicago after just appearing in the production of Little Shop of Horrors and in the Venus Cabaret Theater’s inaugural production of Company last year. Working throughout the Midwest, some select credits include: A Wonderful Life and All Shook Up (Theatre at the Center); The Pajama Game (Music Theatre Company); Oklahoma and Mamma Mia (Stages St. Louis); A Wonderful Life, All Shook Up, Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, Once Upon A Mattress, and Legally Blonde (Fireside Theatre). David also appeared as Ash in the National Tour of Evil Dead: The Musical.
COLTER SCHMIDT (Ensemble, u/s Herbert and Lancelot) is thrilled to be making his Mercury debut with Spamalot. Select recent credits include: Nell Gwynn (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Into the Woods (Chicago College of Performing Arts); Newsies (Candlelight Dinner Playhouse); The Secret Garden (Theatre West); Godspell (Theatre West); Mary Poppins (Grandstreet Theatre). Colter received his BFA in Musical Theatre from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
DAN SMERIGLIO (Sir Bedevere, Galahad's Mother, Concord) is thrilled to be back at Mercury Theater Chicago, where he's been seen in their 2014 and 2018 productions of Avenue Q, The Christmas Schooner and The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes. He has also worked with Steppenwolf on Lord of The Flies and recently appeared in Chicago Fire on NBC. Dan is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.
ARIEL ETANA TRIUNFO (Ensemble) is delighted to be making her Mercury debut with Spamalot! A native of Brooklyn, NY, Ariel is currently a senior in the Musical Theatre program at Columbia College Chicago. Chicago credits include: Can-Can, Gypsy (Porchlight Music Theatre), Stranger on the River (Bittersweet Arts Company), Sweet Charity (Columbia College Chicago), Fast Food Chain (Choreographer; Adventure Stage Chicago), Hands on a Hardbody (Choreographer; Refuge Theatre Project). Regional credits include: West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Newsies (Utah Festival Opera), Boy on the Roof (The School at Jacob's Pillow) and The Threepenny Opera (Greer Garson Theatre). www.arieltriunfo.com
CAMERON TURNER (Ensemble) is very excited to be back at the Mercury where he was last seen in Pippin and Mary Poppins. Some his favorite credits include Woman of the Year and New Faces Sing 1969 (Porchlight Music Theater), Xanadu (American Theater Company), A New Brain and Honky Tonk Angels (Theo Ubique), Grand Hotel and Tomorrow Morning (Kokandy Productions), 35MM (Circle Theater) and The Boy From Oz (Pride Film and Plays) where he was nominated for a Jeff Award for Choreography. Cameron holds a BFA from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
About the Creative Team of SPAMALOT:
L. WALTER STEARNS (Director) As Executive Director of Mercury Theater Chicago, Walter is a champion for Chicago artists and productions and has overseen the physical and cultural revival of a beautiful theatre. He has directed over 40 musicals including his Jeff Award-winning productions of The Addams Family and Ragtime as well as the Jeff Award nominated productions of Mary Poppins, The Producers, The Addams Family, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, Barnum-The Circus Musical, The Christmas Schooner, Nine the Musical, Ragtime, Gypsy, The Secret Garden, Sweeney Todd, Company, A New Brain, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along and Falsettos. He was pleased to produce The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes, which was awarded the Jeff Award for New Work. Most recently, he opened the new Venus Cabaret Theater with Stephen Sondheim’s Company and Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin. Walter has received the Jeff Award, BroadwayWorld Award, After Dark Awards, the Larry Sloan Advocate Award (for his support of Season of Concern), the first Guy Adkins award for his contributions to the art of musical theatre and the Franny Award as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
EUGENE DIZON (Musical Director) is thrilled to be collaborating with this talented cast and crew of Spamalot. Eugene has been musical directing for over two decades garnering 6 Jeff Awards (Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Amadeus, Company, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along); Jeff nominations for A Grand Night for Singing, Candide, Nine the Musical, Closer Than Ever, A Little Night Music, Passion, Colette Collage, Falsettos; 4 After Dark Awards (Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, A New Brain, Merrily We Roll Along); and BroadwayWorld nominations for Company, Hair, Mary Poppins, The Color Purple. Additionally, he has musical directed Little Shop of Horrors, Pippin, Company, The Producers, Barnum and seven seasons of The Christmas Schooner at the Mercury. He is honored to have been inducted into the Chicago Filipino Hall of Fame. Eugene has co-produced 6 “Season of Carols” CD’s (with Cory Goodrich) which features some of the brightest talent in Chicago theater today, for which Season of Concern awarded him the 2013 Larry Sloan Advocate Award and the Season of Concern 2018 Larry Sloan Legacy Award for “consistently and passionately being a trailblazer on behalf of Season of Concern.”
SHANNA VANDERWERKER (Choreographer) is thrilled to return to Mercury Theater Chicago after working on Pippin in the Venus Cabaret Theater. Chicago credits include: Lysistrata Jones (Refuge Theater Project, Jeff Nomination), Porchlight Revisits Can Can (Porchlight Music Theatre), Legally Blonde (BAM) and “Leap of Faith” (Inaside Dance Company). Other Choreography credits include: Annie, My Fair Lady, Newsies, 42nd St, South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast and Singin’ In The Rain all at The Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson, WI. Shanna has worked as Associate Choreographer to Christopher Gattelli on the Original Broadway companies of Amazing Grace and High Fidelity. Shanna was an inaugural honoree of the Rachel Rockwell Foundation’s Fierce Women Behind the Table by Porchlight Theater Company. Shanna also works as an adjunct faculty member at CCPA of Roosevelt University and Columbia College Chicago.
About Mercury Theater Chicago
The beautifully renovated Mercury Theater Chicago is located in the heart of the Southport Corridor at 3745 North Southport Avenue, within a sophisticated neighborhood of restaurants and boutiques just steps from Wrigley Field. A delightful destination, Mercury Theater Chicago is a live-theater seating 290 people, adjoining Venus Cabaret Theater (seating 80). Guests are taken care of from the moment they arrive with valet service and luxe farm-to-table dining at its adjoining restaurant, Grassroots.