'Hamilton' Parody Created By Needham Native Comes To Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- "Spamilton: An American Parody," the off-Broadway parody of the massive musical hit "Hamilton" is now on a Boston stage thanks to the Huntington Theater Company. Gerard Alessandrini, a Needham native and Tony Award winner behind the "Forbidden Broadway" series, created the spoof show.

"I was born in Boston. I was raised in Needham. I still have a lot of family here, so it's wonderful to come back up and do a show here," he told WBZ-TV.

As a child, Alessandrini and his family were regular theatergoers. "Most of the Broadway shows tried out in Boston, at the Colonial Theatre or the Shubert, so I'd come in and see those. It was almost like being adjacent to Broadway, having Broadway in my neighborhood, so I developed a love of theater, of musical theater," he said.

That background was essential to Alessandrini's highly successful "Forbidden Broadway" parody series. Now with 'Spamilton,' he's taking on a groundbreaking, monster hit. "When 'Hamilton' came along I thought, well, this is the biggest hit show that's hit New York since I've been alive, so I have to do this," Alessandrini said.

"Doing this" means setting his critic's eye on the man who brought Hamilton to life. "I'm really spoofing the hype of 'Hamilton' and then, who's at the top of the mound of hype? Lin-Manuel," he said.

'Spamilton' hilariously lampoons the songs and Lin-Manuel Miranda, but with underlying respect. "I like to be fair and also continue showing my love of theater or 'Hamilton,' or whatever I'm spoofing."

And yes, Miranda has seen 'Spamilton.' "From the back of the theater, I could see them falling out of their seats laughing and their heads bobbing. He even was so kind to tweet 'I laughed my brains out,' I went to see 'Spamilton' and laughed my brains out," said Alessandrini.

Miranda even gave him a page of notes making suggestions for the production. Many of them ending up in the show.

Spamilton will play an extended run in Boston, through April 7th at the Calderwood Pavilion in the South End.