Circle Theatre's upcoming production of "Spamalot" promises laughs

Circle Theatre will be performing "Monty Python's Spamalot" from August 7-23. Performances will be held at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center, and tickets can be purchased either online or by calling the Circle Theatre Box Office. 

Featured cast includes Jeremiah Postma as King Arthur, Kyle Cain as Sir Robin, Stephen Grey as Sir Lancelot, Matt Ablan as Patsy, Calin Skidmore as Sir Galahad, Noddea Skidmore as The Lady of the Lake, Greg Rogers as The Versatile Actor and Rob Reminga as Sir Bedevere in his Circle Theatre debut. 

“All I can say about these cast members is that they are talented, talented, talented,” says director Tom Kaechele. “They're all singer-actor-dancer types and they are just really on their game with this show.”

Lead actor Postma recently showcased his talent as Jean Valjean in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre's February-March production of "Les Misérables," a role which Kaechele called “the polar opposite” of King Arthur in "Spamalot." Kaechele says that Grey and Noddea Skidmore will be familiar faces to regular Circle Theatre patrons, as both have appeared in many of the company's past productions. 

“Mary Lohman is choreographing and Scott Bell is the music director,” Kaechele says. “The characters are singing and dancing about 75 percent of the time through the show, so it makes things easier for me to hand them over to a really talented choreographer and music director who will make them look and sound great.”

Kaechele, who also serves as Theater Program Director for Grand Rapids Community College, is no stranger to Circle Theatre. He has been involved with the company since the early '80s, when he started out acting in Circle Theatre shows. He estimates that Spamalot is the 16th production he has directed for Circle Theatre since 2002.

“It's just so much fun to create an ensemble of talented members of the community and unleash that talent in front of an audience,” he says. “The fact that we put on five different productions every year that are primarily peopled by five nearly entirely different casts just shows the depth of talent in this community.”

He considers Circle Theatre to be an important outlet for that talent. And even though he has 16 Circle Theatre shows under his belt, Kaechele says that "Spamalot" just might be his favorite production yet.

“Even if you've had a really bad day, you're going to walk out at the end of the night thrilled by this production,” he says. “Check your brain at the door and come in ready to have a good laugh. Your sides are going to be hurting from laughing so hard by the time it's done, I guarantee it.”