By JACKIE MOE
Outrageous knights, killer rabbits, flying cows and one very not-so-brave Sir Robin are galloping into Orange County.
The Tony Award–winning musical comedy Spamalot rides into Segerstrom Center for the Arts through Feb. 22, bringing Monty Python’s absurd brilliance back to life.
With book and lyrics by Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Idle, the musical opened on Broadway in 2005, winning three Tony Awards including Best Musical. Following its critically acclaimed 2023 revival, the production is now touring North America under the direction and choreography of Josh Rhodes.
Among the merry band of knights is Sean Bell, who plays Sir Robin, the knight who bravely runs away. Bell made his Broadway debut in Harmony: A New Musical and earned an Outer Critics Circle nomination for his work in Irish Rep’s The Beacon. He’s also appeared in concerts at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall and on television in Succession and Boardwalk Empire.
Backstage SoCal caught up with Bell to talk Python, parody and why Sir Robin might just be the most relatable knight of them all.
You’re playing the hilariously brave, and not-so-brave, Sir Robin. What’s been the most fun part of bringing him to life onstage?
Finding my own version of him! Sir Robin has been played by some comedic geniuses on Broadway – David Hyde Pierce and Michael Urie, to namedrop a couple – and bringing my own strengths to the role while honoring what they created before me has been great fun. Our wonderful director/choreographer Josh Rhodes never asked for a carbon copy of the Broadway production and gave me plenty of room to play, which is a rare gift.
You made your Broadway debut in Harmony: A New Musical; how did that experience shape you as a performer?
Gosh, in so many ways! I think perhaps the most important, for me at least, was the confidence I gained from doing that show. Originating a role on Broadway puts performers under such intense pressure. It really is a crucible in many ways, and you’re expected to show up and perform flawlessly in nigh-impossible conditions, not only on stage but at awards ceremonies and early morning press events. Once you’ve done that, and done it well, you really feel like you can do anything.
This show is packed with physical comedy, quick jokes, musical numbers, and so on; which scene is the most challenging to pull off live every night?
Oh, we all have some challenging moments in the show! I think our Galahad, Leo Roberts, might have it the hardest in the Black Knight scene. He has a very cleverly built costume that allows him to lose limbs, but there’s a lot that can go wrong. And of course, it’s an iconic scene from the movie, so the pressure to get it right never goes away!
What’s something audiences might not realize goes into making a show like Spamalot land so perfectly every night?
The absolute army of people we have making it happen! It really does take a village – more like a small city, really – stage managers, swings, spotlight operators, sound technicians, dressers, wardrobe, hair and makeup, props, carpenters, electricians, local crew, musicians, company management, general management, and more I’m sure I’ve missed. The list goes on and on (and on), and they’re all necessary parts of the puzzle that the audience will never see.
You’ve performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Radio City Music Hall. Do you have a “pinch-me” moment in your career that still feels surreal?
The entire day of my Carnegie Hall debut was absolutely surreal and wonderful. I was performing there with some of the Harmony cast because the NY Pops were honoring Barry Manilow (who wrote Harmony, along with the wonderful Bruce Sussman), and they also announced the principal cast of Harmony that day. So as I was in a cab heading to Carnegie Hall with my tux in my lap, my phone started exploding as the announcement was made. And then minutes later I was on stage rehearsing with Broadway and pop music royalty. Truly an unbelievable day.
For young performers dreaming of a career that spans Broadway, TV, and concerts like yours, what advice would you give about building longevity in this industry?
It’s a bit of a cliché at this point, but it’s true: work hard and be kind. If you’re good at what you do, are reliable, and treat others with respect and kindness, the people who matter will notice. Does it guarantee you a career? No. Will it make the career you do get to have more enjoyable and fruitful for yourself and everyone else around you? Absolutely.
Have there been any moments where a joke landed completely differently than you expected?
Oh, constantly! Too many to even choose just one. This show is received so differently in different cities, and you never know how one joke is going to land (or not land) from town to town.
Is there one song or sequence you look forward to performing the most each night?
I probably shouldn’t say my own song, but: my own song! I get to sing “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” and it’s truly one of the best patter songs in the musical theater canon, and the monologue into it is a joy as well.
What’s something about Spamalot that surprised you once you got into rehearsals?
How hard it is to gallop so much. My god, my calves are tight.
Why do you think this show continues to connect with audiences years after its Broadway debut?
For the same reason a really good production of a Shakespeare play can be laugh-out-loud funny hundreds of years later: nearly any well-crafted comedy is going to stand the test of time, and Spamalot is a very well-crafted comedy.
SPAMALOT
Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall
600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Run Dates: Through Feb. 22
Tickets start at $39 and are available at scfta.org or by calling 714.556.2787
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