And now for something completely silly ...

The National Broadway Tour of Monty Python’s “Spamalot” will appear Friday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall.

Tickets for the Celebrity Artist Series presentation cost $34.50 for adults, $19.50 for children and $17 for BU students. Based on the work of Eric Idle, Mike Nichols and John Du Prez, the theater production won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005. With a plot ripped from the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table encounter dozens of bizarre obstacles, including the taunting Frenchmen and an over-zealous dead body removal service.

Between the outrageous antics and absurd-yet-catchy songs, the Sunday Times says the show “[raised] silliness to an art form.”

Upcoming productions for BU’s Celebrity Artist Series’ 2012-13 season include:

• Luciana Souza – Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. in Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. Tickets: $29.50 
• DALA – Friday, April 5, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. in Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. Tickets: $29.50
• Kathy Mattea – Friday, April 26, 2013, at 8 p.m. in the Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Tickets: $34.50 
• Nai-Ni Chen with the Ahn Trio – Saturday, May 11, 2013, at 8 p.m. in the Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Tickets: $34.50 

 For tickets or more information, visit www.bloomu.edu/cas or call the box office at (570) 389-4409.

What I want to know is how they'll handle the "Black Knight" scene on a stage. — EGF

BTE staging 'Moon Over Buffalo'

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble brings The Moon over Buffalo to the stage Oct 4 through 21. If you come opening night Thursday, Oct. 4, you can pay what you want.

BTE member Andrew Hubatsek directs the comic farce by Ken Ludwig. It's 1953 and George and Charlotte Hay, one-time Hollywood hopefuls, have been touring for over 20 years and not getting anywhere but tired. Doors slam, identities are mistaken and lovers ... go to the show and find out?

Details here.

Get your tickets early. Some of these may sell out.

Bloomsburg University has announced its 2012-2013 Celebrity Artist Series season with a set of shows that range from modern dance to Monty Python.

Some of these shows will likely sell out ... Spamalot, Kathy Mattea in particular. So if you're going to get tickets ... sooner rather than later would be a good idea. A few will likely be near sellouts ... The Midtown Men comes to mind ... the chinese circus too. Fact: almost all of the seats in Haas Auditorium are pretty good ... but if you want the best seats, where you can see the dancers and performers glistening ... get your tickets early.

First show in the series is Squirm Burpee by a troupe that calls itself the Handsome Little Devils.
(In the 8 to 5, I do a lot of the promotional materials for the series, and  initially I had a tough time wrapping my head around what the show was ... the more I looked into it the cooler it seems. I have an 8-year-old and I think she might dig this. — EGF.)  Looks like we should expect comedy, juggling, song, dance and a plot with a Snidely Whiplash type character — Baron Vegan von Hamburger. Satisfyingly silly.

This is set for BU's Parents' Weekend, Saturday, Sept. 15, ... so tickets will get scarce if you wait. Showtime is 7 p.m. in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Tickets run. $34.50/$19.50 Child/$17 BU student. Details from BU.

The rest of the series.

• Saturday, October 20 — Koresh Dance Company, 8 p.m.
• Friday, November 16 — Cirque Chinois, 8 p.m.
• Sunday, December 9 — The Midtown Men, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, February 8 — Monty Python’s Spamalot, 8 p.m.
• Sunday, February 17— Luciana Souza, 7:30 p.m. (Carver Hall's Gross Auditorium)
• Friday, April 5 — DALA, 7:30 p.m. (Carver Hall's Gross Auditorium)
• Friday, April 26 — Kathy Mattea, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, May 11 — Nai-Ni Chen with the Ahn Trio, 8 p.m.

Spamalot and Mattea will be big sellers. Luciana Souza is a Brazilian superstar and DALA is a upcoming Canadian folk duo ... the venue for those is Carver Hall's Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. It's a beautiful and intimate setting. I've been told that Koresh is known for the striking athleticism of their work. The Ahn Trio has been to Bloomsburg a number of times. I have some of their discs and they really bring an both a perspective to classical music that's both fresh and approachable ... they have a really elegant take on the Doors (looks like authentic cell-phone video from a show with decent quality). This time, they're performing with a dance troupe ... different. I'm not a Broadway guy so I don't know anything about Midtown Men or the Cirque Chinois at this point. — EFG.

Smart comedy coming to BU

Bloomsburg University will host comedian Josh Blue on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. in Mitrani Hall at the Haas Center for the Arts. Part of the Celebrity Artist Series, general admission tickets are $29.50 for adults and $16.50 for children. Blue’s show features strong language, so the performance may not be appropriate for all viewers.
Blue won NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2006 and has appeared on countless TV and radio shows, including programs on ABC, CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, and MSNBC.
Known as the comedian “who put the cerebral in cerebral palsy,” he uses humor to break down stereotypes and challenge notions about people with disabilities. His likable personality and powerful stage presence, paired with a knack for comedic timing, ensure that no two of his shows are the same.
Upcoming Celebrity Artist Series shows this semester are:

• Coach: The Untold Story of College Basketball Legend Al McGuire, Friday, Nov. 4, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall. Tickets: $29.50
• It’s All Done with Mirrors, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, at 8 p.m. in the Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall. Tickets: $29.50
• The Nutcracker, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in Mitrani Hall at the Haas Center for the Arts. Tickets: $29.50

For additional information on Josh Blue or to order tickets to the concert, call the Haas Box office at (570) 389-4409 or visit www.bloomu.edu/CAS.