“Spamalot”

What: A musical adaptation of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”

When: Dec. 5-21, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Sundays at 3 p.m.

Where: Bainbridge Performing Arts, 200 Madison Ave., Bainbridge Island

Tickets: $27 adults, $22 seniors, $19 youth, military, students, teachers.

Info: www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org

It’s been around 1,600 years since the legend of King Arthur began, and nearly four decades since Monty Python made fun of it.

The sketch comedy troupe’s version is now as legendary as the original — at least as far as pop culture goes — and Kitsap residents have an opportunity to experience it in a whole new way this December.

“ ‘Spamalot’ is a musical lovingly ripped off of ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail,’ ” said “Spamalot” musical director Josh Anderson.

“It’s different in that it is truly an American musical theater adaptation of the film material,” he said.

Fans of the 1975 cult-classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” may know what to expect with “Spamalot,” a parody of the legend of King Arthur and his quest for the Holy Grail. Those unfamiliar with the cult phenomenon may have been exposed to it over the nearly four decades since its release, through fans slipping into conversation “ ’Tis but a scratch,” “Answer me these questions three,” “Return with a shrubbery,” or maybe even, “Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.”

The musical adaptation brings that Monty Python fashion to the stage.

“I think of it as being the film, plus,” said Emily Kight, who plays the Lady of the Lake. “This is the film, in that the jokes you want to be there are in there. But there’s more that you are not going to expect. It will be just as funny if not funnier.”

The signature humor is something uniquely Monty Python. Troupe member Eric Idle was largely responsible for penning the adaptation.

“This type of humor is kind of a foundation for a lot of our modern comedy,” Anderson said. “Whether or not they are Monty Python fans, some of the references in the musical are so woven into our understanding of pop culture.”

“Spamalot” was first performed in 2005, received 14 Tony nominations and three Tony awards, including Best Musical. Original cast members included Tim Curry and Hank Azeria.

This winter, local actors will bring “Spamalot” to life at Bainbridge Performing Arts. “Spamalot” will take the island stage Dec. 5-21, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

“There are a lot of Monty Python jokes that people will be expecting, but there’s some new things added,” Kight said. “There are some new characters. With our cast, we have some great physical comedians that will throw themselves around.”

“Spamalot” strays from its film origins with some new material, but also with a hefty dose of musical interludes, offering a new take on the cult favorite.

“They brought us that original Monty Python material and woven it with lampooning musical theater conventions,” Anderson said.

“In one sense (the music) is sort of cinematic and it heightens dramatic tension and makes jokes about orchestral music,” Anderson said.

“On the other hand, the score is really standard Broadway music. There’s the big tap dance number, there’s the Las Vegas number, there’s the gospel moment.

“It is formulaic in a way to poke fun at the way Broadway musicals are put together.”

Anderson said the band providing the music is quite large for the production, with many musicians recognizable from local orchestras and symphonies; all will a love for Monty Python.

Another major difference is a slight change in the story, and characters. The character of the Lady of the Lake is inserted into the stage adaptation, for example.

“The Lady of the Lake is a created character, not from the original movie,” said Kight, who takes on the role.

“They’ve kind of added her in because they realized they needed a love interest for King Arthur,” she said.

Kight noted that the Lady of the Lake also serves to insert and carry the plot along.

“At one point I get to come out and comment on the fact that I have disappeared from the show for a while,” Kight said. “And because of that they’ve kind of lost the plot by not having me on stage. There’s a funny song called ‘Whatever Happened to My Part.’ ”

Anderson noted that Kight and the rest of the female cast are particularly impressive in BPA’s production.

“We have a really stunning female cast,” he said.

“A lot of people just remember the knights, but since it’s styled like an American Broadway show, so you can’t forgo the opportunity to have glamorous lady dancers,” Anderson said. “Women are featured (in the musical), whereas in most Monty Pythons, parts for women aren’t as featured. It’s really an Americanized Monty Python.”

Female cast members go from Las Vegas numbers, then transform into the Laker Girls — in support of the Lady of the Lake, of course — and more.

“Basically in every number they transform into a different vocal style and dance style and visual presence,” Anderson said. “It’s impressive to me, to be able to go through a show and become 12 different characters.”

Kight knows this first hand.

“Our ladies, especially in the ensemble, they do so much,” Kight said. “They have to create the world in which the knights are living. All the men are playing the Monty Python roles. These women fill out the rest of it. They are the dancers, the bit parts here and there, and they are in almost every number.

“They go from being Finnish women to tap dancing, to Jewish women, and one of them plays a knight. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to tell the story.”

Anderson was eager to be part of the Bainbridge production. He was raised on Monty Python, he said. Saturday mornings were reserved for traditional viewings of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” in his house. He hopes to bring that fervor for Monty Python to the Bainbridge production.

“It’s a great way to introduce a younger generation to Monty Python,” he said, and also noted that it is a nice addition to the season’s usual holiday performances.

“This time of year we get a lot of Christmas carols and holiday festivals and pageants,” Anderson said.

“I think that sometimes it’s nice to sit back and laugh at some really goofy stuff and maybe have a touching moment or two.”