Spamalot creators Eric Idle and John Du Prez are mining the Monty Python catalog for more as the duo will present “Not the Messiah,” a 50-minute oratorio based on the 1979 film “Life of Brian.”

The commissioned work will be a part of 2007’s Luminato, the Toronto Festival of Arts Culture and Creativity, at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on June 1, 2, and 4 (all at 7:30 PM) in 2007, according to a TSO spokesperson.

I really wish I could say I thought this was a good idea.

I mean, I’m as big a Monty Python fan as the next guy. Probably a lot more so, all things considered. In theory, I should be the ideal audience for this kind of thing. And yet, I can’t help but read news like this with a weary sigh. I just wish Eric Idle would focus more of his attention on something original for a change. The things that I’ve most enjoyed in his recent endeavors, including Spamalot, were the bits that I hadn’t seen or heard a thousand times before. Spamalot is good fun — I’m actually wearing a t-shirt from the show right now — and maybe this oratorio will be fun, too.