In the second instalment of our four-part salute to the upcoming 'Spamalot' musical continues, Luxe Life has a candid conversation with show creator Eric Idle, who revealed that Vegas almost hosted a reunion of the Monty Python crew and, proving that the world gets smaller and smaller, said his new show competes with 'Phantom of the Opera' opposite at the Venetian which is produced by his own landlord and main investor!
RL: I think it's funny that Andrew Lloyd Webber is your landlord.
EI: Not only is he our landlord, but an original investor in the Holy Grail movie, which has now become the stage musical. Rock 'n' roll people made that movie. Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Led Zeppelin all put in 20,000 pounds each and he was a partner with Tim Rice, and they still get profits from both ends.
RL: It's a funny question but would 'Spamalot' play in Steve Wynn's new Macau casino?
EI: I hope so. Wouldn't that be wonderful? He told me that he plays our hit song 'Always look on the Brightside' in the fountain in Macau every 20 minutes. He said the Chinese love it. We will be touring in Australia and those tours tend to go to Hong Kong and New Zealand so we could easily wind up in Macau and that's an interesting market.
RL: What did you remove from the Broadway version to cut the Vegas show to 90 minutes?
EI: We removed the intermission and 15 minutes of material which meant only a couple of songs went. 'All For One,' which we needed because we had a costume change for all the girls to get ready for the 'Spamalot' number; that one is gone. Then 'Runaway,' which none of us ever liked in the first place. So now we have to solve the costume change or they'll just be seen doing it by the audience!
RL: Do you understand the American love for Monty Python; the most bizarre comedy in the world? It plays and is accepted here more often than it is in Britain. Why?
EI: That's true, but I don't know why. In England audiences always want the new things and so the English are always producing new groups and new things to laugh at. America is not like that. There isn't gang comedy. There is Python, and Saturday Night Live. But it was hard to keep Python's quality up. We weren't live. We recorded it as live, then we edited it and filmed bits and it was very closely written. It is a show that is performed by the writers. Its success has always been in the writing.
RL: So, we are about six weeks away from opening night (March 31st) and other than Graham, will all the Pythons be here?
EI: Unfortunately no. Terry Jones just had an operation and Michael Palin will be in Turkey doing his cable TV travel thing. But Terry Gilliam is coming and I hope that John Cleese will come because he will love it. I will bring them on stage at the curtain calls. I was very nervous about opening in London; I wasn't sure which way they would jump. But we got seven nominations -- the largest number given in British history -- so that was a wonderful surprise. And we'll know on February 18 how many we win. But in New York we got 13 Tony nominations and ended up with three and that is not bad at all. We won the one that we all wanted. You expect to get an audience and be funny for them, but not to win awards. I like Vegas and I know it is a crapshoot here but it will be a very funny show here. That wonderful moment is for the cast to rehearse it and the first time they hit the audience they go 'oh my gosh' because they get these huge laughs and nothing prepares them for that. It is such fun to be in the theater: I rediscovered the fun of being on stage and entertaining and in America I was astounded to find out that everybody knows 'Spamalot.' They would turn out in tiny little cities all across America. That encouraged me. Could I live here in America, which is quite large, and do comedy? It would be very hard to do something other than that because how can you possible compete with yourself? 'Spamalot' is a step forward into the futures of Python and I think they like it and they keep the checks.
RL: How long are you going to spend in Vegas?
EI: I have a kid in school in LA, so I will commute. I will come in for the readings and then Mike Nichols ('Spamalot' Director) and I will come in. You can't do much until they have learned it and put it up on its feet. So then we come in and make changes. These productions are like kids especially Broadway. All the people get very close. They always have a great time. Mike Nichols rule of life is 'no assholes.' Don't let anybody into the cast and crew who is not going to be comfortable. That is important to grab moments that are not yours. I don't think we have added more Vegas elements to it because we are in Vegas. I realized that we couldn't improve or comment on the shows because they are so big and gross and over the top already. We can only stay true to what we already do well. That is part of the charm of it. I am sure our Vegas audiences will laugh like they've never laughed before.
RL: Is this the best you have done over the years do you think?
EI: Me personally, I think I am a good editor. This is now a young man's job, the original cast is old and I keep doors open. I find for me that it is more fun to work on Python that anything else. I tried to do a live reunion here in 88 and we got very close. We got an offer; dates, a hotel and then Michael Palin at the last minute said 'no' he didn't want to do it. It is scary to go back into the world of silliness but it's essential to keep challenging yourself. Now though I don't think it will ever happen, and that's why 'Spamalot' is so alive and well and keeping Python alive and well too!
Be sure to check back tomorrow for Part 3 of our four-part salute to 'Spamalot.'
JUST ASKING
The naked Paris Hilton model shot, all tied up in bindings complete with locked hands, could have come straight from the pages of a bondage magazine, but why the heck is it being used for the celebration of her 25th birthday, tied into the official re-launch of Body English during NBA All-Star weekend?
POWER PARTY PEOPLE
She promised she'd be back for some R 'n' R without the kids and she kept her word. When I talked with Rosie O'Donnell at the Comedy Festival, she told me she'd been too busy filming her Barbra Streisand documentary to take in our Strip shows and said she would return. She and girlfriend partner Kelly returned to see the Beatles 'LOVE' musical by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. ... George Maloof's Palms was crawling with celebrities: New York Yankee Jason Giambi picked chicken parmesan washed down with Jack Daniels and diet coke when he
dined at Nove in the Palms, directly upstairs is the MOON nightclub where NBA superstar Scottie Pippin, late of the Chicago Bulls enjoyed the Supersonic party. Aaron Lewis of Staind, who was staying in the Palms Fantasy Tower 'Kingpin Suite' wound-up both in MOON and the Playboy Club after playing to a sell out crowd in the Palm's Rain nightclub. Roger 'The Rocket' Clemens dined at N9NE Steakhouse before Aaron's concert next-door. ... Social House at TI was in a frenzy as baseball idol and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson enjoyed a long and lighthearted meal of special sushi and scallop dynamite prepared by Chef Joseph Elevado who served up Kobe burgers for Tommy Davidson, Vogue cover model Cash Casia, (pictured above) who also appears in Nip/Tuck danced with the Coyotes when she had a midnight party at NY-NY's Coyote Ugly. She even got up on stage and threw out Coyote merchandize to the crowd there... Actor Seth Green with six friends dined at Fix in the Bellagio enjoying s Chef Brian Massie's Adult Macaroni & Cheese and Fix's famous wings. After dinner he hit Caramel Bar for Vodka Red Bulls, shots of Kamikazes and even posed for the lucky lady in a bachelorette party. Jason Giambi hit JET nightclub in the Mirage one night until 3 a.m. sipping on Grey Goose and Red Bull all night and then returned again the next night with younger brother, Chicago White Sox slugger Jeremy Giambi who earlier picked Japanese Kobe Sirloin Steak as his dinner favorite at Stack. STRIP SCRIBBLES
I was remiss in not giving ace celebrity journalist Steve Freiss the credit for organizing and moderating our Perez Hilton panel on digital gossip journalism at the Palms on Sunday night. Steve's podcast can be heard by regularly clicking the link to his website in our column of links on the left. ... The film festival up in Sundance, near Salt Lake City attracted celebrities from Hollywood and New York, plus some of our great chefs and nightclubs! Chef
Kerry Simon, of Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock created a lavish dinner for Chefdance, the annual event with some of the country's top chefs, but also as chef in residence for the JANE Magazine House. His guest list was staggering: Parker Posey, Drea De Matteo, Damon Dash, Lance Bass, Donovan Leitch. Ione Skye, Ben Lee, Dan Roebuck, Crispin Glover, Fisher Stevens, Zoe Cassavetes, Justin Theroux, Timothy Hutton and Cheryl Hines. Meantime. Epicurean award winner David Walzog, the Executive Chef of SW Steakhouse in the Wynn, flew up as guest chef for New Line Cinema's premier of The Last Mimzy and their 40th anniversary celebration at the Bon Appetit (Magazine) Supper Club on Main Street. Attending were Samuel L. Jackson, Timothy Hutton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tara Reid and Fisher Stevens. ... Gorgeous supermodel Joanna Krupa (seen above) brought a posse of her closest gal pals for her red-carpet arrival at Studio 54 in MGM. In their VIP skybox they drank Grey Goose and sipped champagne until Joanna took to the stage with the microphone and won a huge ovation from fans that she encouraged picking up her new ' Ocean Drive ' magazine cover issue. Before the weekend was over she also hit TAO at The Venetian and danced for fans on the club's catwalk! TONIGHT'S TIP
Veteran comedy legend Mel Brooks is finally in town and has his zany cast including David Hasselhoff and gorgeous Leigh Zimmerman in place with the eight sexy dancing and flying girls for 'The Producers' as it opens tonight in previews at the Paris. The VIP red carpet gala is Friday February 9 but click here to read our advance peek at final orchestra rehearsals before tonight's curtain up and click here for our earlier interview with David. Also if you're up late enough to watch Jay Leno's Tonight show, vote for a Vegas video-shooter friend pitching his idea of a new TV reality show 'Finding Mrs. Presley,' as some of city's celebrity look-alike Elvis search for the "perfect Priscilla! It's a hoot and just might make it to the home screen!
TOMORROW'S TEASE
Hotel mogul Steve Wynn's candid assessment of the state of Vegas entertainment and his hopes for his new musical 'Spamalot' in battling the booming highly competitive nightclub scene, as our four-part 'Spamalot' salute continues.
Related Pop-ular Stories:
- Luxe Life: Part I: Eric Idle, John O'Hurley and Steve Wynn Answer 'Why Vegas?'
- Luxe Life: Part II: Eric 'American' Idle On Why Monty Python is Popular in the U.S.
- Luxe Life: Part III: Steve Wynn On the State of Vegas
- Luxe Life: Part IV: John O'Hurley Goes From the Grim Reaper to King Arthur
