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Darit has been involved with music for over 20 years (ever since he was big enough to carry a euphonium in 4th grade). For the last three years, he has been studying acting techniques (Meisner, Morris, Adler & Chekov). He prepared for this role by removing his sword from his stone, repeatedly ... and with great vigor.
Josh is a recent graduate of Grand View University where his focus was Religious Studies and Communication. This past year he has performed in "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" (Alexander) and "Charlie's Aunt" (Babbs). Josh is excited to see how impressed admissions will be when he tells them he's in SPERMALOT as he applies for the seminary.
Larry is thrilled to be reprising his role as Sperm Lionel from 2007. He is also one of the authors of this "special" show. As with most conception, drinking was involved in the writing process. His love and thanks to my family, friends, and my LS.
Kyle is currently enrolled at Iowa State University where he is majoring in Performing Arts with an emphasize on acting. He has had lead roles in such productions as "Our Town," "Love and Honor," "Nothing Serious," as well as roles in "The Taming of the Shrew," "On the Open Road," and various other productions. Dancing (mainly Hip-Hop) is also a huge passion in Kyle's life.
As co-founder of The Comedy Co-Operative LLC Dave remains active writing, promoting, and performing sketch comedy in the Des Moines area. Along with various theater and sketch comedy projects, He has co-written the full length musical "TENT CITY" and has performed in "The Chicago Sketch Festival." He is currently seeking inspiration for a new full length musical ... Global Warming, anybody?
Amy Burgmaier's passion for musical theater began when she won the role of Cinderella her sophomore year at Orient-Macksburg High School in Southwest Iowa. Since, she has entertained audiences in numerous Iowa productions including, "Hair" (Starshine), "A New Brain" (Nurse Nancy D.), "Cats" (Jellylorum), "Chicago" (Roxie Hart), and "Reefer Madness" (Mary Lane). To date, one of her most memorable theatrical experiences was landing the principal role of Becky Pitney for the 2007 Off-Broadway production of "Farmer Song the Musical!"
A graduate of the University of Utah's Actor Training Program Anita's credits include "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (Muzzy), "The Vertical Hour" (Terri), "Angels in America: Perestroika" (The Angel), "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" (Singer), "Richard III" (Q. Margaret), and more. Performing in SPERMALOT has been very helpful and inspiring for her; being a native Utahn she didn't even know what a vagina was. Thanks Mom and Dad for everything!
Morgan has been asked to make many strange things before but these may be among the largest and strangest things he has created. More information on Morgan can be found on his website 
Not every costume designer has ten years experience writing and performing comedy, but when you're constructing a vagina dress with cervix collar - or a 5 foot labia - comic sensibility is an important job requirement. So is having a mom who's willing to help (just don't tell her what this is really about. Karen told her it was Willy Wonka). Karen is one of the writers of the show, and the full length musical, "TENT CITY."
Lorainna is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BA in Theatre with an emphasis in Acting/Directing and also Dance. She currently works for the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines as well as teaching competative dance and cheer for the Grimes Superstars. Lorainna also does freelance choreography for high schools, show choirs, musicals, cheer squads, dance teams and also works with the AUS Miss Scholarship Program.
Thatcher is the Artistic Director of CHANGE. His directing credits include: "Copenhagen," "I Am My Own Wife," & "Baby With The Bathwater." In addition, he has adapted several classic television shows into live stage tributes, including "The Honeymooners" and "Dick Van Dyke." Thatcher always sends his love to his family for their patience during every production.
The Change Co-Operative
Spermalot: The Musical
Fri., Jul. 31 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 1 @ 10:00 p.m.
Thu., Aug. 6 @ 8:30 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 7 @ 4:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 8 @ 1:00 p.m.
Warning! Adult language
Venue Ritz Theater
For ages 16+
Created by The Change Co-Operative
From Des Moines, IA
Web site http://www.theaterforachange.com/
genres Musical theater, Puppetry
subjects Relationships
features Multimedia, Regional (MSP) premiere, Original script/choreography, Original music, First-time Minnesota Fringe Festival producer
Overall rating
User reviews
wad y'know
by Larry Meuwissen Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
a bit inconsistent, but an inspired tale. Amy Burgmaier has an exceptional voice, but the staging had her right in front of a speaker where the canned music (a very loud piano) drowned her out. A fun show that needs some work and would be much better with a live 3-4 piece combo on or off stage instead of the too loud canned music.
Left me flacid...
by Arthur Adams Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
While the premise sounded like a load of fun, the writers couldn't keep it up for a full hour. The puppets were a neat idea, but they weren't used well (some coaching from a professional puppeteer could go a long way). There were some really great moments and some not so great... let's say the cast was "uneven" at best. While I enjoy dirty humor, the repeated puns just got to be a little tiresome and there were some inconsistencies. Either these are super sperm or the woman they are in is not... anatomically correct. Script needs a little more work.
Amy Burgmaier stole the show in her song involving the audience - by far the best singing and acting of the night. I also enjoyed a rather disturbing guest appearance by "the clap." The costumes were great - worth going to the show just for them!
Call me old-fashioned, but I like my musicals to have live music. The pre-recorded soundtrack just fell a little short of my expectations, and the orchestration became monotonous after a while.
Must see? Probably not, but why not come down to see the show - you can always prematurely evacuate the theater...
NO NO NO
by Waylon Werner Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
I guess this show has some promise, but I didn't feel the actors had it together during my performance.
Love them, hate them, masturbate them!
by Fringivitis Vulgaris Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Musical theatre and puppetry collide with video in this cute riff on the Ultimate Quest Tale. The talents of the company are inconsistent but their enthusiasm is top-notch. They're happy to swipe any appropriate bit of pop culture in their pursuit of cervix with a smile. The performers don't restrict themselves to the stage either; audience members may become comic foils at any moment. Relax, get ova it and have fun!
Blueballed
by Curt Lund Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Several reviewers admitted "it was stupid and I laughed anyway" -- I agree with the first half of that statement, and give a half-hearted shrug at the second. The good comedic bits were few and far between, with lots and lots of filler that DRAGGED. The squeaky character-voice of the gay sperm made him hard to hear throughout; the music was at times overpowering, making other characters hard to hear; and fake-drunk stumbling and bumbling is funny for about 15 seconds, then just distracting bordering on obnoxious. Blue balls, indeed. 2-1/2 kitties, rounded up rather than down thanks to the quality voices of the cast, especially the two females.
You've already heard the joke
by Clark Anthony Follow this reviewer
Rating 0 kitties
You've read the title - you've had the one laugh this show has to offer. If you see this show after reading this, you have yourself to blame for a wasted hour. It's bad. Stupid, long-hour bad.
Should I...cum again?
by Jon Seismic Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I'm still laughing...and to be honest, I don't know why, sperm jokes shouldn't stay in anyones mind this long!
hahahaha!
spermalot
by BETTY LAMPE Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I thought it was very entertaining and kept me wondering what was next. I would highly recommend it for someone with a good sense of humor. The cast was excellent.
Good laughs
by Tom Molitor Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I found the show thoroughly entertaining with many laughs. Even made me laugh at some of the less than comfortable content. I would definately recommend to the open-minded.
Fun
by Dean Hatton Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This was so stupid it was funny.
I laughed all the way thru.
All this talk about sperm and no full frontal nudity.
Know what i mean?, Nudge,Nudge,Wink,Wink.
... and educational, too
by Lee Gehrke Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Crazy, silly fun ... and educational, too! Singing could have been stronger, but Chlamydia's bluesy croon was tops. And Ova's enthusiasm for coupling was infectious. I was sorry I'd already been snipped.
Loved the songs...very witty!
by Betsy Nelson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Lots of laughs, a very fun show. I thought the song were very clever.
So many names for sperm...
by Sarah Cura Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Of course this is total silliness that kept me laughing out loud the whole time. Anytime you mix sperm and music it's going to be fun, at least you hope so...
I gave it 4 kitties instead of 5 just because the songs were not always matched to the singing ability of the singer, though there were some great songs and singers. Ova was awesome and very odviously very well trained. Over all, I will be very surprised if this show doesn't get the encore show. Too much fun!!!
A Sperm's Journey, Tastefully Done
by Chuck Beeson Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I was looking forward to seeing this musical all evening, and one of the lead characters in the play handed me a show card, saying lustfully, “I’ll look for you inside”. And we’re off and running! This group of singers, dancers and puppeteers from Iowa really did a bang up job telling a truly original story of Camelot (I mean Spermalot) that started with King Arthur saying goodnight to his date, to a magical journey down the vas deferens, into the, well, the womb, and um, well…it’s quite a journey! The puppets each male actor has extended off their arms (with their arms serving as the tail of the sperm) were used well. Each character played a stereotypical role…the drunk, the gay guy, the stud and of course the expendable guy…all roles we are familiar with in the dating scene. The use of video was impressive and did not detract, actually enhanced the scenes where it was used. Some of the transitions were blank spaces of nothing going on and audience members looking around, and the sound was too loud at times, drowning out the singers and the literal excerpt of one character Samjack (Anita Holland) doing Samuel Jackson’s biblical tirade from Pulp Fiction could have been adapted just a bit to not be a literal ripoff—those things are improvements that could be made to the show. And the woman who lured me into the Ritz (Amy Burgmeier), sang and danced and flirted with male audience members with aggressive grace and style. This is the only musical—I can say this definitively—that has a singing turd in it, and for that fact alone, you should make sure to see this one!
My Stomach Hurts
by Riley Bertsch Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Everyone on stage did a great job, each bringing something unique!! I will highly recommend this...!
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