History Theatre / Spamalot

* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: The original film had an infamously [[AntiClimax anticlimactic ending]], with Arthur and his men getting arrested before they could retrieve the Holy Grail. In the show, they actually do find the Grail in the end, and every character gets their own happy ending (Arthur marries [[spoiler:Guinevere]] while Lancelot marries [[spoiler:Herbert]], and Robin pursues a successful career in musical theatre).

* TakeThat: The Quest turns out to be to put on a musical in [insert city location] "as long as it isn't an Creator/AndrewLloydWebber [[Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera musical]]". The cast proceed to cut themselves with their swords and kill themselves to a mock-Webber tune. "The Song That Goes Like This" is also a dig at Webber's sentimental love ballads, complete with a gondola and a chandelier.

* TakeThat: The Quest turns out to be to put on a musical in [insert city location] "as long as it isn't an Creator/AndrewLloydWebber [[Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera musical]]". The cast procedes to cut themselves with their swords and kill themselves to a mock-Webber tune.

* YouHaveToHaveJews: The TropeNamer, from "You Won't Succeed on Broadway".

** The UK tour changes "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" to a song about needing stars, since YouHaveToHaveJews is a predominantly American trope, whereas in Britain most touring musical productions tend to have at least one soap opera actor/reality TV star/broadcast comedian in the cast.

* ScreenToStageAdaptation

** Another iteration at a college in California portrayed Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Show as a [[{{starwars}} Jedi Knight]], complete with robes and [[{{anachronismstew}} lightsaber]].

*** The 2015 UK touring version had them add the ENTIRE first verse and chorus of "Itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, yellow polka dot bikini" in at least one production, while stand up comedian Joe Pasquale, who played Arthur, looked increasingly gobsmacked. Luckily for him its a well known song so he could remember the lyrics.

** In the new touring production The Knights end their spiel with "Wopa Gangnam Style!" to rapturous applause.
** For one college production, The Knights begin singing the opening theme song of ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''.

** The 2007-08 UsefulNotes/LasVegas production already seemed right at home on the Strip with its take on Camelot ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_Hotel_and_Casino here's what inspired it to begin with]]), but there were additional shout outs to the city anyway: King Arthur noting that "What happens in Camelot stays in Camelot!" and, in the final stretch, the Lady of the Lake telling him that they've done one better than succeeding on Boradway in making it to Vegas. Also, the production was mounted at Wynn Las Vegas, so the specially-decorated lobby included a dig at owner Steve Wynn's habit of decorating his resorts with fine art with a large, fancy vase marked "Wynn sez sell!"

** The lyrics of "The Diva's Lament" -- in which the female lead mentions not having won any awards -- after the show did quite well at the Tony Awards.

* KingArthur: Well, yeah...
** Myth/KingArthurAndTheHolyGrail: Quite a faithful adaptation, including some of the more odd parts (goodhearted poor guy becoming Sir Galahad, having a moral that's nothing to do with a physical grail albeit a different moral -- in the myth it's to be humble, in the musical it's [[spoiler:to do what you like and find your purpose for yourself]]-- being large ones.)

A 2005 [[TheMusical musical]] "[[AffectionateParody lovingly ripped off]]" (by Eric Idle and John Du Prez) from ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', thus sharing many of the same tropes. Nominated for fourteen Tony Awards, of which it won three, including Best Musical. The original cast included Creator/TimCurry, [[Series/{{Frasier}} David Hyde Pierce]], Creator/HankAzaria, Creator/SaraRamirez, and Christopher Sieber.

!!Includes examples of:

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: "Finland" refers to the titular country as Scandinavian, even though Finland isn't actually a part of Scandinavia, which encompasses just Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: "Finland" refers to the titular country as Scandinavian, even though Finland isn't actually a Scandinavian country, which encompasses just Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

** The playbill has a hilarious fake bio page for "DIK OD TRIAANENEN FOL", starring the East Finland Moose Ballet, 45 magnificent creatures in high-stepping harmony. Believed to be the greatest display of horn ever seen on an American stage."

-->He is not yet dead! [startles the bejesus out of Lancelot, Robin, and the corpse cart loader.]

-->"This poor little chap is your son, sir! All he ever wanted was a little love and affection, but did you ever give it to him? No, no, I'll wager you denied him! You try to ''kill'' him, and worse, far worse, you try to ''marry him off'' to some girl, some ''female'' that he obviously has no feelings for whatsoever! Yes, yes, I know about a little bit of bullying fathers, you bastard! Have you no heart? Have you no human tenderness? Can’t you see that all he’s asking for is a little love and understanding? Is that too much to ask? ''Is it? Too much! To Ask!!!''"

* SettingIntroductionSong: The show opens with the Fisch Schlapping Song, a big dramatic number about Finland, where none of the action happens. Played somewhat straight by the historian describing the historical/meteorological climate of England immediately before, although it's all spoken word over music and not actually sung.

** Once in New England, a soccer cup final was going on at the time, so the Head Knight ended his rant with "GOOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!...it's one-one in the second half!" to the applause of many men in the audience.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Most of the characters who were killed off in the movie, survive in the musical.

-->'''Arthur:''' Shit. (to Bedevere, in Swedish) Do you have a phrasebook?

* WanderingMinstrel: As in the movie, [[CowardlyLion Brave, brave Sir Robin]] has a group of them follow wherever he goes.

** For one college production, The Knights begin singing the opening theme song of ''Disney/TheLionKing''.

* TakeThat: The Quest turns out to be to put on a musical in [insert city location] "as long as it isn't an Creator/AndrewLloydWebber [[ThePhantomOfTheOpera musical]]". The cast procedes to cut themselves with their swords and kill themselves to a mock-Webber tune.

** For one college production, The Knights begin singing the opening theme song of ''Film/{{The Lion King}}''.

* StylisticSuck: When the HolyHandGrenade kills the KillerRabbit, the set piece that's in front of it falls over [[CrowningMomentOfFunny revealing the rabbit's puppeteer]]. This is clearly intentional, because the puppeteer and the knights stare at each other for a moment, before he [[LookADistraction points behind them]] and runs offstage as the knights turn around.

-->He is not yet dead! [startles the bejesus out of Lancelot, Robin, and the corpse cart loader]