It hasn’t even been a decade since its release, but Hamilton has felt like it’s lived several lifetimes. Everywhere you turn, there’s a good chance that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magnum opus has taken a small stake there, influencing a new generation of theater fans to pick up history books and create their own spin on the past. Especially in 2022, it feels like Miranda is everywhere having produced four movies including two Oscar-nominated works just last year with plans to do oh so many new works in the not too distant future. He has developed one of the most envious careers in contemporary Broadway. He’s a household name with a stringent work ethic that many would be envious of.
This explains the appeal of something like Spamilton. From Forbidden Theater, it’s a spoof not just on the music but of a career. Say what you will about the show’s quality, but the amount of humor that can be mined from Miranda’s personality alone is astounding. This is the story of an egotist, who dreams of making The Great White Way in his image. He’s a hero and antagonist all rolled into one, featuring plenty of vaudeville-style side gags that require a love of musical history to fully appreciate. If you don’t have that, showing up early to Musical Theater West’s production might help as they have a fun game of “Name That Tune” simulated on the stage as short clips transition into answers. Given that Spamilton is said to have over 100 references, it may help just to brush up anyway.
Along with shows like A Grand Night for Singing and The Andrews Brothers, Spamilton marks MTW’s final “small” production. With theaters just starting to open up, there was still uncertainty as to whether things would shut down from another virus outbreak. By some luck, they have gotten to the end of another run with their most successful show yet. With a packed audience, a cast of seven accompanied by a pianist put on the 90 minute romp that centers on “Lin Manuel as Hamilton” (Andrew Puente). Props and costume changes are kept to a minimum, allowing for an effusive run through every number, allowing the jokes to take center stage in all of their mustache-twirling flamboyance.
Prepare for every actor to play a half-dozen roles, including various “cameos” from Patti Lupone and Julie Andrews as well as various actors/characters that Miranda has created. Among the most significant are stand-ins for Daveed Diggs (Marquell Edward Clayton) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Cornelius Jones Jr.) who continually play as foes to Miranda, doing every petty thing to outclass him in the fame department. Even at one point Miranda comically quips that at nights he dreams of the Cats song “Memory,” a play on a line in Hamilton’s “My Shot.” It’s small lyrical wit like this that gives the show something unexpected and fun. Given that it also references Encanto (2021) and Diana the Musical, it’s clear how this is designed to appeal to the moment.
It should be noted that Spamilton isn’t striving for high art. What it has is Dedrick Bonner hitting high notes for a simple punchline. There’s an exhaustive number with “Schuyler puppets” (parodying Avenue Q) that feels more like a sprint. At times the cast is moving so fast that it’s difficult to pick up on every gag, but for those who see it as a playful nod to the art form, it has its moments. Some of the appeal may run dry at a point, but credit to the cast that continues nonetheless, finding ways to chronicle Miranda’s fame down to a decent parody of In the Heights. They may not have the skill to make the rap flow ceaselessly, but there’s still something to admire. They do everything they can for a joke, jumping in and out from behind a Spamilton star logo that glows a variety of colors depending on whatever mood the scene calls for.
As a filler production designed for everyone to have fun, there’s plenty to get out of Spamilton. It’s by no means as masterful as modern parody classics like Something Rotten, but those wanting to celebrate theater in a cheap and expedient way will enjoy what it’s going for. It’s best not taken seriously, judged only by how committed the cast is to any given moment. Even the way that the pianist keeps up with the entire medley is worthy of applause. This may be a tedious affair and something that will never win a Tony Award, but there’s enough for a laugh among friends, a recognition of the many subtle jabs to recent history. If the worst thing that can be said is that the person who made this had a deep knowledge of theater, then it at least is doing something that isn’t completely lazy. This is just friends having fun, and that’s the only way to appreciate what it’s doing.
Spamilton isn’t revolutionary. Even as a spoof on Miranda’s modern celebrity, it’s not necessarily the most insightful. The jokes are hit and miss with many motifs not serving as evergreen. With that said, there is something funny about trying to keep this show contemporary, if just because a song about Oscar nominations near the end could’ve sounded completely awkward had the previous weekend’s ceremony ended differently. With that said, MTW’s gamble on smaller shows was definitely worth it, if just because of the slow integration back into theater. A promising season lies ahead, including productions of Grease and Damn Yankees. For now, this remains an oddball work that is deserving to see if just to say you’ve seen the rarely performed (for good reason) Hamilton parody. That in itself is a greater honor than being in the room where it happens… kinda. That show will run forever. This is only around for a few weekends. Just live in the moment, don’t think about it, and everything will turn out okay.
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