'Spamilton: An American Parody' promises laughter and Broadway references

Valeria Munoz, Palm Beach Daily News
·2 min read
The company of 'Spamilton: An American Parody' Datus Puryear, from left, Brandon Kinley (kneeling), Musical Director Curtis Reynolds, Ani Djirdjirian, Adrian Lopez (seated center), Chuckie Benson, Marissa Hecker (kneeling) and Dominic Pecikonis.
The company of 'Spamilton: An American Parody' Datus Puryear, from left, Brandon Kinley (kneeling), Musical Director Curtis Reynolds, Ani Djirdjirian, Adrian Lopez (seated center), Chuckie Benson, Marissa Hecker (kneeling) and Dominic Pecikonis.
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The musical comedy "Spamilton: An American Parody," has arrived for its West Palm Beach run at the Kravis Center where it will play through Sunday.

After the commercial success of "Hamilton" in 2015, Forbidden Broadway creator Gerard Alessandrini crafted "Spamilton" in a week and opened Off-Broadway in 2016.

The seven-member cast of "Spamilton" cast has performed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and London. The show opened Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the Kravis.

Spamilton cast Chuckie Benson, Ani Djirdjirian, Datus Puryear, Adrian Lopez and Dominic Pecikonis performing a musical number.
Spamilton cast Chuckie Benson, Ani Djirdjirian, Datus Puryear, Adrian Lopez and Dominic Pecikonis performing a musical number.

The creative team includes choreographer Gerry McIntyre, set designer Morgan Large, costume designer Dustin Cross, lighting designer Michael Gilliam, and Fred Barton as music supervisor.

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Marissa Hecker performs every single female role in the show and standby. Raised in Lighthouse Point, she said she is grateful to perform in her home state.

"I hope audiences leave with a sense of pride in Broadway’s past and hope for its future. Also, sore abs from laughing for 85 minutes straight," Hecker said.

According to Hecker, audiences can expect a loving homage to "Hamilton" as well as dozens of other Broadway shows. However, guests who have not seen "Hamilton" can still enjoy "Spamilton," she said.

The musical parody caters to Broadway fans but first-time theater goers will be impressed by the versatility and talent of the cast, Hecker said.

There is truly something for everyone, she said, noting that the performance touches on many generations of shows.

Her favorite part of the show is the tribute composer Stephen Sondheim, who died Nov. 26.

"We parody five of his shows in 'Spamilton' and there is a section in which I sing 'Another Hundred People.' I relish hearing the laughter of the handful of audience members who are true Sondheim geeks," she said.

Hecker describes her "Spamilton" audition experience as unique.

"I’m a parody writer myself, so I auditioned with an original parody of 'I Dreamed a Dream.'" That led to two more callbacks before she was named the female understudy in late 2018.

"I was promoted to leading lady in 2019," she said.

Hecker attended Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale and the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music.

Tickets for "Spamilton" start at $49 and are available at Kravis.org.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: 'Spamilton: An American Parody' arrives at Kravis Center