• by January 20, 2005

Yahoo! is tops online, but can the Internet giant wow 'em on Broadway?

Audiences are poised to find out when the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company takes a turn on the Great White Way in "Spamalot," a new musical comedy based on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" that soon starts in previews in New York.

The show, based on the screenplay written by Eric Idle and co-creators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, tells the story of King Arthur and the legendary Knights of the Round Table, and their quest for the Holy Grail.

Yahoo!'s bit in the musical comes in the form of "The Spam Guard," a military troupe that will carry flags emblazoned with the company's logo, as well as placement on signage, and potentially on costumes, MediaDailyNews has learned. Mentions in the musical's script are also possible.

The show begins in previews on March 1, with Yahoo! purchasing all 300 seats for the evening's performance. The company also gets a meet and greet with the cast. Yahoo! will also appear in forthcoming print, online, and TV advertising in the New York market promoting the show.

Hormel Foods, marketer of Spam canned meat products, created a limited edition collector's can of Spam Golden Honey Grail flavor. The special Spam can features art from the show's promotional campaign. A pre-Broadway version of the show runs through Jan. 23 in Chicago.