Spamilton: An American Parody comes to Miniaci Center
Alexander Martinie
Gerard Alessandrini’s off-Broadway musical “Spamilton: An American Parody” will run for two showings at NSU’s Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on March 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. This 2016 musical parody of the Broadway production of “Hamiliton” follows a director and actor as they try “to save Broadway from mediocrity and oblivion,” according to the production’s own description. Featuring songs such as “Lin-Manuel as Hamilton,” “Straight Guy’s Winter’s Prom,” “Lin-Manuel & J-Lo, Beyonce & Gloria Estefan,” “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cries” and many more, that are originals written by Alessandrini and are reminiscent of the songs from the original Hamilton.
“’[Hamilton] is a loaded show, with so much plot, history, and significance. It also has so much behind it, how [the creative team] turned Broadway on its ear, utilized rap and hip-hop, and created a cultural colossus,” said Alessandrini in an interview with NBC News in 2017. According to Alessandrini, “Spamilton” features the most diverse cast of all of his productions.
Ben Brantley, co-chief theater critic for The New York Times, wrote that “Spamilton” is “smart, silly and convulsively funny,” and Barbara Hoffman, former arts editor at The New York Post, wrote “[Spamilton is] the next best thing to seeing Hamilton!” Additionally, Hamilton creator and performer, Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeting “I laughed my brains out” after seeing “Spamilton’s” original cast perform in 2016 and posing with Dan Rosales, his “Spamilton” counterpart.
“It was actually fun to be imitating him being a whiny guy, and seeing him laugh at himself while the audience laughed, too. There was a little bit of hesitation in the very beginning of the show, but [Miranda] ended up loving it and hanging out with us backstage,” said Rosales to NBC News on playing Miranda with Miranda in the audience.
In 2017, “Spamilton” was nominated for six awards and won the Off-Broadway Alliance Awards’ Best Unique Theatrical Experience award.
Marilyn Stasio praised the writer and director of Spamilton, writing for Variety, “Hip-hop, Broadway showtunes, Viennese waltzes — is there anything this guy can’t write? No, not ‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, but Gerard Alessandrini, whose ingenious parody ‘Spamilton’ simultaneously salutes and sends up Miranda and his signature musical. Much is owed to the agile five-member cast of actor-singer-spoofers, but the big kudos go to ‘Forbidden Broadway’ creator Alessandrini, who applies his formidable chops to this affectionate cartoon of all things Hamiltonian.”
Tickets are available at https://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/2350408?venueId=107339&brand=miniacipac&webview=1. Tickets prices range from $35 for balcony seating to $45 to $55 for orchestra seating.
