Must See: "Not The Messiah" At Carnegie Hall Next Month

The Messiah Won’t be At Carnegie Hall

Back in 2000 I saw “Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python” at Carnegie Hall, I liked it as well, though I didn’t love it. Some of it felt a little stale and if you’ve been watching the footage from Python’s farewell at London’s o2 you’ll know what I mean.

Much better was the Broadway musical “Spamalot”… it had a really nice run and when I saw it Tim Curry played King Arthur so you gotta think.

This December 15th and 16th, “Not The Messiah (He’s A very Naughty Boy”)” -a spoof of Handel, will be performed at Carrnegie Hall, and if you have to be Christian this is the way to do it. Idle has claimed ” “If our [Life of] Brian was by Matthew then this is by John (but more John Lennon and John Du Prez). In other words, it isn’t sketches at all, but recitative and songs and the occasional Nine Carol Service Reader.”

Sounds cool, right? The first time I saw “Life Of Brian”, the day it opened, Christians were picketing it, leading me to the belief they hadn’t actually seen it. The very very clever story of the boy who was born in the stable next to the big J is hardly sacriligist, unless you consider folks on the edge of the Sermon On The Mount so far away they mishear Jesus (“Blessed are the cheesemakers?”, “Not just cheese, all diary products”…) .

I expect “Not The Messiah” to be a thumping good show and the cheapest tickets are $21 including handling so even if it sucks you ain’t muc behind. Plus Carnegie Hall? Best sound ever.