Actor Jonathan Bennett (“Mean Girls” fame) chatted about making his Broadway debut in “Spamalot” on Broadway.
Bennett succeeds Michael Urie in the role of Sir Robin in the revival, which is being performed at the St. James Theatre in Manhattan.
Broadway debut in ‘Spamalot’
“The rehearsals for ‘Spamalot’ have been going so well,” Bennett admitted. “I am so lucky that I get to walk into Broadway’s No. 1 musical comedy, which is such a hit. That is so cool.”
“Also, I get to join a cast and creatives that are the best of the best in the business. It has been so fun, and it is literally a dream come true,” he acknowledged.
“I’ve dreamed about being on Broadway since I was five years old,” he recalled. “To get the call to be in this top musical comedy on Broadway is a dream come true.”
Portraying Sir Robin in ‘Spamalot’
On playing Robin in “Spamalot,” Bennett said, “Playing this character is so fun. It is like the Comedy Olympics when you are playing this role. The writing is so hilariously witty and smart yet so stupid at the same time.”
“You have this great juxtaposition that you get to play a knight who is going off to war but is afraid to fight. Right there, you get so much comedy,” he said.
“On top of that, the Sir Robin role plays three other characters that are really whacky and over-the-top that no one has ever ever seen me play before or has come close to see me play. I am excited to play those characters and show everyone different sides of Jonathan Bennett’s acting,” he elaborated.
“I am basically going to make a complete fool of myself, and I am excited to show that,” he added.
Dialogue-heavy
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy in this stage musical, he said, “Oh my gosh. I love the writing. When you have writing this good by Monty Python and Eric Idle, it makes it really a lot easier to learn your lines.”
“The lines have a rhythm to them and they make sense. When you have that rhythm, it almost is easier to learn because the writing is so good,” he explained.
“Of all the shows on Broadway, I don’t think there is a show, currently, that is more special than ‘Spamalot.’ It is like lightning in a bottle, especially the cast and the production,” he expressed.
‘Spamalot’ — A show of levity and laughter
“The show is such pure joy and laughter,” he admitted. “We are not here to teach anyone anything, we are not here to take away lessons, we are here for you to sit back, relax, and escape. It is just absolutely what the word needs right now.”
“With all the things that are going on in the world, you need a place to escape to, and watch a show like ‘Spamalot.’ This cast features some of the most talented people on Broadway. It’s a win-win. There is such an electricity in the theatre each night,” he added.
20th anniversary of ‘Mean Girls’
This year, on April 30, Bennett will be officially celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Mean Girls,” where he played the iconic role of Aaron Samuels. “Can you believe that people had to put up with me for 20 years?” he said with a laugh.
2024 GLAAD Media Award nomination for his latest Hallmark film
He expressed that he is also happy that his latest Hallmark movie “Christmas on Cherry Lane” was just nominated for a 2024 GLAAD Media Award for “Outstanding Film — Streaming or TV.” “We are very excited about that,” he said.
“Hallmark also got nominated for ‘Friends & Family Christmas.’ I am pumped about that because this is Hallmark’s seventh overall GLAAD nomination, which is pretty fantastic.”
Being a part of the Hallmark franchise
Speaking of Hallmark, Bennett had great words about being on a network, which features such actors as Andrew Walker and Tyler Hynes.
“To be a part of the Hallmark family and to work with Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes, and all those crazy people is just unpredictable. Every day you show up, and you never know what you’re going to get. So, it keeps you on your toes,” he said.
‘Halloween Wars’
“Halloween Wars was so fantastic this year,” he said about his return to the Food Network. “We saw a huge uptick in ratings this year by 18 percent. I think the fans were excited that I was back and the pumpkins were back. It went back to being the show that everyone has come to know and love over the years.”
“It was fun to be back and it was fun to see the fan support with coming back to the show,” he added.
To learn more about Jonathan Bennett, follow him on Instagram.
