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Spamilton
An American Parody
Broadway promotional poster
MusicVarious
LyricsGerard Alessandrini
BookGerard Alessandrini
BasisHamilton
by Lin-Manuel Miranda
PremiereJuly 19, 2016: Triad Theatre, New York City
Productions2016 Off-Broadway
2017 Chicago
2017 Culver City
2018 Off-West End

Spamilton: An American Parody is a musical parody of the Broadway show Hamilton. Written by Gerard Alessandrini, creator of the parody revue Forbidden Broadway, Spamilton also parodies several other musicals, including Gypsy, Chicago, The King and I, Assassins, Camelot, The Book of Mormon and Sweeney Todd, and personalities, like Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Carol Channing and Liza Minnelli.

The show, directed by Alessandrini, had its first preview on July 19, 2016, and opened on September 8, 2016, at New York's Triad Theatre. Originally scheduled to run 18 performances, it was extended at the Triad until May 28, 2017. It moved on June 2, 2017, to the 47th Street Theatre, near the Richard Rodgers Theatre where Hamilton is presented. The production ran into 2018.[1]

A Chicago production of Spamilton opened at the Royal George Theatre on March 12, 2017. A production ran at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City from November 5, 2017, to January 7, 2018, shortly before a national tour.[2] US tours continued into 2024.[3]

A production played in London at the Menier Chocolate Factory running from July 24 (previews from July 12) to September 15, 2018.[4]

Musical numbers

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  • "Lin-Manuel as Hamilton"
  • "Aaron Burr, Sir, Nervous-er"
  • "His Shot"
  • "Look Around (The Schuyler Puppets)"
  • "Lin-Manuel's Quest"
  • "Ticket Beggar Woman"
  • "Straight Guy's Winter's Prom"
  • "Straight is Back"
  • "What Did You Miss?"
  • "Ben Franklin, Sondheim & Lin-Manuel"
  • "Daveed Diggs - The Fresh Prince of Big Hair"
  • "Rap Battle"
  • "Ticket Beggar Woman #2"
  • "Liza's 'Down With Rap'"
  • "Ticket Beggar Woman #3"
  • "One Big Song" (Written for Los Angeles production)
  • "In the Hype"
  • "Lin-Manuel & J-Lo, Beyoncé & Gloria Estefan"
  • "Book of No More Mormons"
  • "Broadway Assassins"
  • "Cool Duel"
  • "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cries"
  • "Lin-Manuel's New York City"
  • "The Film When It Happens"
  • "Finale: Raise a Glass to Broadway"
  • "Encore: Our Shot"

Recordings

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The original off-Broadway cast recording for Spamilton was released March 3, 2017 by DRG Records.[5]

Original casts

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Character Original Off-Broadway Cast Original Chicago Cast Original L.A. Cast Original London Cast
Lin-Manuel Miranda / Alexander Hamilton Dan Rosales Yando Lopez William Cooper Howell Liam Tamne
Leslie Odom Jr. / Aaron Burr Chris Anthony Giles Eric Andrew Lewis Wilkie Ferguson III Eddie Elliott
Renée Elise Goldsberry / Angelica Schuyler / Phillipa Soo / Eliza Schuyler Hamilton / Jasmine Cephas Jones / Peggy Schuyler / Audra McDonald / Jennifer Lopez / Beyoncé / Gloria Estefan Nora Schell Michelle Lauto Zakiya Young Julie Yammanee
Bernadette Peters / Barbra Streisand / Carol Channing / Liza Minnelli / Patti LuPone Christine Pedi Christine Pedi Susanne Blakeslee Sophie-Louise Dann
King George Glenn Bassett Adam LaSalle Damian Humbley
Daveed Diggs / Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson Nicholas Edwards Donterrio Johnson John Devereaux Jason Denton
Ben Franklin / Sondheim / George Washington Juwan Crawley David Robbins Dedrick A. Bonner Marc Akinfolarin
Offstage Covers Cameron Amandus & Claudia Yanez Chuckie Benson & Ariel Richardson Becca Brown* & Elijah Reyes James Hameed & Esme Laudat
Onstage Pianist/Musical Director Fred Barton Adam LaSalle James Lent Simon Beck
Casting Director Michael Cassara, CSA Michael Cassara, CSA Andrew Lynford

The show has the most racially diverse cast of any of Alessandrini's productions.[6]

Critical response

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Spamilton received positive reviews from critics. In his review of the Off-Broadway production, Ben Brantley in The New York Times called it a "smart, silly and often convulsively funny thesis, performed by a motor-mouthed cast that is fluent in many tongues".[7] Frank Scheck, in his review of the Off-Broadway production for The Hollywood Reporter, wrote the musical "is so infectiously fun that it could easily run as long as its inspiration."[8]

Marilyn Stasio in reviewing the Off-Broadway production in Variety, wrote, "Like the original show, the pants are tight, the boots are shiny, the bosoms are uplifting and the vests show just enough chest to look manly. Switch-hitting as director/choreographer, Alessandrini assigns his performers signature moves that make each character look authentic, if ever-so-slightly goofy. Getting those physical details right lays the groundwork for the witty character impersonations to come."[9]

Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Thomas Kail both attended a performance. Miranda praised the parody, saying, "I laughed my brains out."[10][11]

Awards

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Year Award Category Nominee Result
2017 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Nora Schell Nominated
Off-Broadway Alliance Awards Best Unique Theatrical Experience Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lyrics Gerard Alessandrini Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Nora Schell Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical Nominated
Theater Fans' Choice Awards Best Off-Broadway Musical Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Clement, Olivia. "Spamilton to Close Off-Broadway", Playbill, November 19, 2017
  2. ^ Clement, Olivia. "Spamilton Will Play Around the Corner from the Broadway Home of Hamilton and Tour the U.S.", Playbill, April 11, 2017
  3. ^ Wright, Joshua. "Forbidden Broadway Cancels Broadway Run Due to 'Crowded' Season", BroadwayWorld.com, April 26, 2024
  4. ^ "Spamilton to Play London's Menier Chocolate Factory | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  5. ^ "Spamilton, the Off-Broadway Hamilton Parody, Sets Cast Album Release Date". Playbill. March 2, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  6. ^ Reyes, Raul A. "Like Hamilton, the Hilarious Spamilton Showcases Actor Diversity", NBC News, July 3, 2017
  7. ^ "Review: In ‘Spamilton,’ Broadway’s Savior Meets His Match. It’s Not Burr." The New York Times, September 8, 2016
  8. ^ "'Spamilton': Theater Review" The Hollywood Reporter, September 8, 2016
  9. ^ "Off Broadway Review: ‘Spamilton,’ The Musical Spoof of ‘Hamilton’" Variety, September 8, 2016
  10. ^ "Watching Lin-Manuel Miranda Watch the Hamilton Parody, Spamilton". Vulture. September 16, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  11. ^ Miranda, Lin-Manuel. "We just came from Spamilton. This is Dan Rosales, the talented young man who plays me. I laughed my brains out". Twitter. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
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