
The Spamalot Diaries
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Narrated by:
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Eric Idle
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Alan Tudyk
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By:
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Eric Idle
About this listen
The inside story of what it took to bring Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Broadway as the unlikely theatrical hit Spamalot, told through actual diary entries from the legendary comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and New York Times bestselling author
On March 17, 2005, Spamalot debuted on Broadway to rapturous reviews for its star-studded creative team, including creators Eric Idle and John Du Prez, director Mike Nichols, and stars Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, Sara Ramirez, Tim Curry, and more. But long before the show was the toast of Broadway and the winner of three Tony Awards, it was an idea threatening to fizzle before it could find its way into existence.
Now, in The Spamalot Diaries, Eric Idle shares original journal entries and raw email exchanges—all featuring his whip-smart wit—revealing the sometimes bumpy, always entertaining, path to the show’s unforgettable run. In the months leading up to that opening night, financial anxieties were high, with a low-ceiling budget and expectations that it would take two years to break even. Collaborative disputes put decades-long friendships to the test. And the endless process of rewriting was a task as passionate as it was painstaking. Still, there’s nothing Idle would change about that year. Except for the broken ankle. He could do without the broken ankle.
Chronicling every minor mishap and triumph along the way, as well as the creative tension that drove the show to new heights, The Spamalot Diaries is an unforgettable look behind the curtain of a beloved musical and inside the wickedly entertaining mind of one of our most treasured comic performers.
©2024 Eric Idle (P)2024 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“Idle provides a rollicking account of the making of his Broadway musical Spamalot. . . . [and] an irresistible and unfiltered ode to the art of live theater. Fans will love this tantalizing glimpse behind the curtain.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Quite simply wonderful . . . This is so much more than a making-of book; it’s also a portrait of Eric Idle in the kind of detail that a more traditional memoir of Spamalot’s creation might not have provided.”—Booklist
“Spirited and exceedingly witty . . . Idle’s observations are sharp and clever, and his descriptions of his time in New York City are evocative. It’s exciting and very entertaining reading. . . . The backstage story of one of the most successful musicals will appeal to theater buffs and fans of Monty Python.”—Library Journal
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-
Story
You might think that creativity is some mysterious, rare gift - one that only a few possess. But you’d be wrong. As John Cleese shows in this short, practical, and often amusing guide, it’s a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, Cleese shares his insights into the nature of the creative process and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you’ve come up with an idea that might be worth pursuing?
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I want to give this book a million stars but they won’t let me.
- By scott on 02-18-22
By: John Cleese
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Travelling to Work
- Diaries 1988–1998 (Volume 3)
- By: Michael Palin
- Narrated by: Michael Palin
- Length: 23 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Travelling to Work is the third volume of Michael Palin's widely acclaimed diaries. After the Python years and a decade of filming, writing and acting, Palin's career takes an unexpected direction into travel, which will shape his working life for the next 25 years. Yet, as the diaries reveal, he remained ferociously busy on a host of other projects throughout this whirlwind period.
By: Michael Palin
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The Blues Brothers
- An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic
- By: Daniel De Visé
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The saga behind The Blues Brothers, as Daniel de Visé reveals, is epic, encompassing the colorful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by Harvard’s Lampoon and Chicago’s Second City; the birth and anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live, where the Blues Brothers were born as an act amidst turmoil and rivalry; and, of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made, scene by memorable scene.
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In my opinion, the best single book on Belushi.
- By Ron Phenicie on 04-19-24
By: Daniel De Visé
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Harold
- By: Steven Wright
- Narrated by: Steven Wright
- Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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From the outside, Harold is an average seven-year-old third grader growing up in the 1960s. Bored by school. Crushing on a girl. Likes movies and baseball—especially the hometown Boston Red Sox. Enjoys spending time with his grandfather. But inside Harold’s mind, things are a lot more complex and unusual. His thoughts come to him as birds flying through a small rectangle in the middle of his brain. He visits an outdoor cafe on the moon and is invited aboard a spaceship by famed astronomer Carl Sagan.
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Yes, Harold?
- By DC333 on 06-27-23
By: Steven Wright
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Robin
- By: Dave Itzkoff
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in Mork & Mindy and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations - all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed. But as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams’ comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt.
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Disappointing but worth a read
- By Joe Moore on 05-18-18
By: Dave Itzkoff
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Erebus
- One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time
- By: Michael Palin
- Narrated by: Michael Palin
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Michael Palin brings the fascinating story of the Erebus and its occupants to life, from its construction as a bomb vessel in 1826 through the flagship years of James Clark Ross’s Antarctic expedition and finally to Sir John Franklin’s quest for the holy grail of navigation - a route through the Northwest Passage, where the ship disappeared into the depths of the sea for more than 150 years. It was rediscovered under the arctic waters in 2014.
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Engrossing story
- By Anonymous User on 10-01-24
By: Michael Palin
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Lorne
- The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live
- By: Susan Morrison
- Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio, Susan Morrison
- Length: 22 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Over the fifty years that Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live, he has become a revered and inimitable presence in the entertainment world. He’s a tastemaker, a mogul, a withholding father figure, a genius spotter of talent, a shrewd businessman, a name-dropper, a raconteur, the inspiration for Dr. Evil, the winner of more than a hundred Emmys—and, essentially, a mystery. Generations of writers and performers have spent their lives trying to figure him out, by turns demonizing and lionizing him.
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Great read but several weird mispronunciations
- By Larry Carlat on 02-20-25
By: Susan Morrison
thank you, Eric
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Humor
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Collaboration with all the rough edges
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As funny as the musical
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I now want to go see the sshow again
I want to see the show again
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Great fun and very informative
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Great ride
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Eric Idle’s wonderful narration.
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It’s an audio book. You wrote the tunes. Perhaps you could hum a few bars for reference?
Not my cup of tea
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Eric Idle seems to me, to present himself of something of a Diva; constantly seeking adulation for his brilliant work. Maybe that's the culture of Broadway productions and shame on Eric for falling into it.
His writing the book smacks a bit of trying to squeeze just a little bit more juice from the Holy Grail franchise. I obtained the title with the 3 for 1 promotion Audible had going on, so technically it was free. I wish Audible could refund the time I put into listening to it.
In wrapping up, the only bright spot is Eric's narration. Even the most horrendous of stories seem funnier when read by a Brit. Unfortunately, it’s not quite enough to save the overall experience.
Holy Grail or Epic Fail?
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