Funnyman Alessandrini Puts Spamilton in the Narrative
Hamilton has taken Broadway by storm. Winning 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, lyrical genius Lin-Manuel Miranda’s critically acclaimed musical about “the ten-dollar founding father without a father” put the broad back in Broadway. Creating a performance that blended hip hop, R&B, and a cast of non-white actors as historical figures, Hamilton opened the doors for performing arts and acclaimed comedic writer, Gerard Alessandrini.
The recipient of a Drama League Lifetime Achievement Award and a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre as Forbidden Broadway’s creator-writer-director, Gerard Alessandrini has enthralled and delighted audiences in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and all around the world for three decades. Playing with the idea that Broadway, and its beloved followers, need to laugh at itself, Alessandrini has built his career spoofing shows with good-spirited antidotes and celebrity satire.
In a program note for Spamilton, Alessandrini writes: “It’s all a figment of my twisted imagination and hopefully a glorious mash-up of theatre today and my wildest musical comedy dreams.”
Alessandrini grew up in Boston performing and writing with his friends. He spent his free time writing parodies about recent films he’d seen or popular television shows and created MAD Magazine posters that mocked things like Liz Taylor-Richard Burton movies.
After graduating from Boston Conservatory of Music, he released his first adult production, ”Forbidden Broadway” at a restaurant on West 72nd Street in Manhattan. For six years people flocked to the restaurant to enjoy a parody and a meal. Like any gimmick, Alessandrini needed to slant words and rewrite skits to remain in sync with the times. That dedication paid off as Alessandrini’s lampoon transgressed into an Off-Broadway production that’s since seen 25 editions and has traveled around the world.
So, when Alessandrini saw the sweeping hit of Hamilton, forty-plus years after he originally began to mock Broadway, he knew just what he had to spoof next.
“It was the biggest hit show to arrive on Broadway since I had come there in 1981,” Alessandrini remembers. “I thought ‘Wow, I’ve spent most of my life spoofing Broadway shows – I have to do this one.”
The veteran playwright and director took his comedic undertaking seriously. The result was the highly acclaimed musical: Spamilton: An American Parody which features several clever songs and energizing dance numbers designed to appeal to Hamilton fans and newcomers alike.
“The point was to make it as funny and zany as it could be, with lots of both parody songs and dancing,” Alessandrini said.
Packed with versions of hit Hamilton songs, including the transformation of the original “What’d I Miss?” into “What Did You Miss?” designed to poke fun at the density of information packed into Hamilton, Alessandrini leaves guests laughing at the King, examining the musical legend Stephen Sondheim, and gasping at hilarious spinoffs of Wicked and Les Miserables.
Beyond rave reviews from The New York Times and The Huffington Post, Spamilton received the most coveted praise of all when Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted “I laughed my brains out watching Spamilton.”
“I’m thankful for him and for being a good sport,” Alessandrini stated. “Spamilton is a good family show with fun, lighthearted entertainment. I hope audiences feel the same joy seeing this that I felt when Hamiton arrived in New York.”
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Up for a laugh? Grab your tickets to the side-splitting performance of Spamilton: An American Parody on January 27th presented by Broadway Utica at The Stanley Theatre. For tickets contact Broadway Utica at (315) 624-9444 or visiting them online at www.BroadwayUtica.org.
