Eric Idle   (Photo: Patrick McMullan)

Could the next Monty Python project be The Meaning of Life—in tutus? On the heels of his success with Spamalot, Python’s Eric Idle says he’s currently working on a ballet with longtime co-composer John Du Prez. “It’s perfect,” he says. “John and I are always interested in doing something nobody wants, so that seemed to be the natural thing.” The duo has already moved into classical music: On July 1, they’ll bring Not the Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy), an oratorio based on The Life of Brian, to the upstate Caramoor Festival. (A highlight, Idle says, is a Gilbert and Sullivan version of the “Lumberjack” song.) “We have bagpipe players come in,” Idle adds. “We go everywhere we possibly could with a symphony and choir.” How about Manhattan? “It would be fun to do Carnegie Hall,” Idle muses. “Of course, it costs you $50,000 to move a chair.”

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