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'Life of Brian,' the... Oratorio?

Oct 17, 2006, 11:45 AM | by Scott Brown

Categories: Stage/Theater

93919__brian_l_1There are those who will greedily gulp down any Monty Python-derived property, however “lovingly ripped off.” And there are those who make a point of seeing each and every oratorio that hits the stage. (This latter group is identifiable by their powdered wigs and ultrahip knee-breeches.) Eric Idle, the retired Python troupe’s de facto Barnum, is set to merge these groups into one massive fanbase: Get ready for Not the Messiah, a Handel-esque take on The Life of Brian.

The oratorio (like an opera, only less theatrical and heathenish) will open not on Broadway, beside Idle’s smash Spamalot, but at a festival in Toronto. (As Idle himself has noted, America's not the safest place to end a musical with a crucifixion.) So we can’t quite accuse Idle of pimping out yet another Python treasure with limited comic results... yet.

Yeah, I’m one of those curmudgeons who found Spamalot a little weak, overall. And an oratorio, with its limited staging, will put the onus squarely on Idle’s lyrics -- which, in my opinion, lack a certain killer-rabbit swiftness. Does that mean I’m not curious? Course not. I’ve got my knee-breeches on already. Not that I ever really take them off.


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ellen Thu, Oct 19, 2006 at 12:37 PM EST

This would be amazing in my opinion. But they should do over here in England first damnit!!

brandonk Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 05:48 PM EST

I haven't seen Spamalot yet, but I listen to the soundtrack all the time! So funy!

Stephanie Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 12:33 PM EST

Idle has ALWAYS been the silly one, sort of like the child of the bunch but in a fun way. Python has been commercial only because the troupe members wanted to get across that intelligent humor can be funny and silly. That's why their DVD's sell pretty well.

Auriana Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 12:31 PM EST

Nothing against Toronto but why is everything I want to see going there? Yes, I know LOTR was supposed to be horrific but I still wanted to see it. Now this is going there too! If I hear that the stage production of His Dark Materials goes there too...I'll cry, especially as I live only 30 mins from NYC.

daisyj Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 12:18 PM EST

Am I the only one who misread the title and wondered why "Life of Brian" would be playing in Orlando? I am? Alrighty then.

Dan Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 12:06 PM EST

Thrilled that it's opening in my home town... I don't know what we did to deserve LOTR the musical. Still not sure if Idle has the creative chops to pull it off but I think he's working with much better raw material than Spamalot.

Christina Tue, Oct 17, 2006 at 10:57 AM EST

I'm one of the biggest Python fans out there but I have to admit that the endless commercialisation of anything Python that especially Eric Idle is doing really gets on my nerves. I liked Spamalot, but probably more because of the atmosphere in the theater than the actual musical. How can it be that all the Pythons have moved on successfully, only Eric Idle is still "silly" and mostly kinda pathetic.


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