It is a rare kind of joke that remains funny after twenty years. It is a certain mark of comedic genius, then, when a joke is funny thirty years later, told in the form of a “comedic oratorio” accompanied by the LA Philharmonic. Yet such a feat was accomplished in style Saturday night, when Monty Python’s Eric Idle led the second consecutive performance of Not the Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy), based on the 1979 Python film Life of Brian, at the Hollywood Bowl.
Idle and composer John Du Prez (who also worked on the Tony-winning Spamalot) masterfully reworked the story of Brian Cohen, a nice Jewish boy born on the same day as Jesus Christ and mistakenly followed as the messiah. Du Prez conducted the LA Philharmonic through classical rip-offs, gospel, and doo wop, while the Pacific Chorale, four soloists, and Idle carried the story.
The soloists all merged fine comedy with their considerable vocal talents, especially tenor William Ferguson as the wrongfully chosen one. A small herd of fake sheep put the final touches on “And There Were Shepherds,” a tribute song to the fluffy farm animals, and the Los Angeles Scots Pipe Band made an appearance on a grand number endorsing Brian as the messiah. The high point, though, was Eric Idle himself. He showcased his impressive singing abilities on two old favorites, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” and “The Galaxy Song,” in addition to pulling off a hilarious Bob Dylan impersonation, and put so much heart into “I Want to be a Girl” that you started to believe it.
Of course, Not the Messiah suffered slightly without the visual aides of the original film - “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” is a whole different song when delivered by a chorus of men nailed to crosses. Still, the performance was pure fun, and some of the best moments came when one word exclamations - Chaos! Woe! - built into full-bodied tunes with choral harmonies. There is something strangely beautiful at work when the LA Philharmonic takes the stage at the Hollywood Bowl for a song about sheep.
Photo courtesy of the Hollywood Bowl.
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