KENNEBUNK — “Spamalot,” the over-the-top, Tony award winning musical adapted from the British comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” premieres on Nov. 2 at Kennebunk High School. The production is one of the most ambitious that Dennis St. Pierre, the head of KHS drama, and his young actors have tackled yet.

“It checked all of the boxes for our kids,” said St. Pierre, who has been in charge of the theater department for five years. “It had enough humor in it. It had enough dance … The kids really love doing comedy, and we’ve been doing more dramatic musicals the past few years, so it was time do something really fun.”

“Spamalot” follows King Arthur, played by senior Crow Lowery, as he recruits the Knights of the Round Table in search of the Holy Grail. Patsy, King Arthur’s servant, is played by junior Avery Rossics. The Knights of the Round Table include senior Cassie Midgley as Sir Lancelot, senior Quinn Downing as Sir Robin, junior Noah Hammond as Sir Galahad and sophomore June Holmes as Sir Bedevere. Senior Erin McNeilly plays the Lady of the Lake.

The students have also done a strong job rising to the demands of a musically ambitious show.

“The show has so many big musical numbers. And when I say big musical numbers, I mean big musical numbers,” said St. Pierre. “There’s a ton of choreography. Absolutely the biggest show I’ve choreographed at the school, and it encompasses every kind of dance you can imagine, form Broadway jazz, to modern salsa, to tango.”

When asked about any standout stars in the cast, St. Pierre was quick to praise all the students involved in production, from acting to set design — over 70 in total.

“All of my kids work so darn hard,” said St. Pierre. But he added that he believes the school’s emphasis on theater is part of the reason that KHS is one the standout high schools in the state. Kennebunk High School doesn’t just have an after-school drama club, it boasts multiple theater classes that students can take as part of their school curriculum.

In 2022, the school was ranked No. 2 in Maine by US News and World Report last year.

“The arts being important [to the school] elevates us to the next level,” St. Pierre said.

KHS’s production of “Spamalot” coincides with a broader revival of the show. Written by Eric Idle and John Du Prez and first performed on Broadway in 2005, the musical is set to to open again on Broadway this November. It also recently featured a run in Maine. The Portland Players of South Portland put on a production of the show earlier this fall.

“Spamalot” is famous for its PG-13 humor, featuring bawdy jokes that could pose a challenge for a high school adaptation. St. Pierre said that some of the sexual humor had to be tweaked for this production.

“We didn’t have to change any of the lyrics or the script, it’s more about the actions,” said St. Pierre. The KHS production modified blocking and stage direction of certain scenes to be more age appropriate.

The show runs from Thursday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 5. For tickets, visit https://khspac.ludus.com/index.php.

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