He Is Not Dead Yet! 

Have you seen the new Music Center right in Waukee? Vibrant Music Hall opened in Waukee this month and has already put on some amazing concerts and shows. Senior Noah Kohtz shares his excitement for the new hall! “I’m pretty excited about the new Vibrant Center because it means that Waukee can have more events like live tours and other things.” One of the most exciting things they had in their schedule was “An Evening With The Late John Cleese” on November 15th at 7:30! 

This is extra exciting because John Cleese is an actor most famously known for his Monty Python roles. He is also not dead but this title reminds audiences about the amount of times people have to remind soldiers that they are not dead yet! This year Waukee’s musical is Monty Python’s Spamalot which will be happening in the Spring! 

John Cleese’s backstory is a relatively simple one; he was born on October 27th in England. In school he was tormented for his height, having been 6 ft by 12. But with that hurt, he learned how to make jokes and put a humorous spin on his insecurities. He went to college at Cambridge where he met fellow Python Graham Chapman, spent a lot of time in the university’s theater group, and performed in many comedy reviews. One of his reviews was met with great success, especially one he named “Cambridge Circus”. He then graduated and wrote for the BBC before joining the “Cambridge Circus” again which toured in America! 

He stayed in America which is where he met another Python Terry Gilliam. When he returned to England he did several successful comedy works where he worked with some amazing writers. Including Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Micheal Palin. Before the men decided to, they made their program Monty Python’s Flying Circus which aired on the BBC from 1969 to 1974. 

The show ran for 4 seasons but Cleese left during the third. But continued to collaborate with his Pythons on several projects. Some examples include Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975), Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979), Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983), and the TV series Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus (1972). Their work has stood the test of time and many people hold them as some of the best comedians in the world. And hold Monty Python’s Holy Grail as one of the best comedy movies of all time. 

With the great success of these movies, it is no wonder that the musical theater world would also want to get its hands on this amazing material. Spamalot Waukee’s Spring musical is an adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Spamalot brings hilarious songs to an already hilarious plot. With some changes in adoption, the musical still keeps the same funny spirit. The musical also tries to capture John Cleese’s spirit by placing the actor who plays him in the musical in many different roles like how it appears in the movie. 

Waukee Director Mr. Jorgensen shares his favorite John Cleese role in the movie and how that translates to the stage. “One of my favorite roles of John Cleese in Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the Black Knight. I think it’s hilarious how despite losing all of his limbs, he’s still willing to fight. In Spamalot, we have to find some way to make his arms and legs fall off on stage. It’s easier to work that “magic” on camera, but on stage, the audience has to see it all happen in front of them. That will be a fun challenge for us.” Spamalot has also been welcomed back on Broadway! It is super cool that Waukee gets the opportunity to see John Cleese in the fall and see an interpretation of his work in the Spring. So get ready for many laughs coming to Waukee this year! 

If you ask anyone who went to the show they will tell you just how fantastic and funny it was. It was a great way for Vibrant Music Hall to impact Waukee and start their long and eventful career with many Waukee citizens giving the Hall amazing reviews. A Vibrant Music Hall Supervisor shares their love for the new center! “It’s so fun having this new venue so that Waukee can see all of this talent come through!” 

John Cleese’s humor has reached all over the world and it is amazing to see how his influence on comedy has influenced so many people including boring old Iowa citizens. Many of my friends and family love Monty Python so it was amazing to see Waukee experience John Cleese in real life and hear all the laughs he induces. John Cleese’s impact has reached all over but Waukee has shown him extra love this year with his show and Waukee’s spring show!