Reuniting Monty Python troupe's Eric Idle has Chicago-area ties

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In light of Tuesday’s news that the five living members of Britain’s widely beloved Monty Python troupe (the stars of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” “Life of Brian,” “The Meaning of Life” and other famously offbeat comedy fare) are reuniting for a live performance of some sort in the not-too-distant future, you might be surprised (or not) to know that Python member Eric Idle has a bona fide connection to the Chicago area: his wife of more than three decades, Western Springs native Tania Kosevich.

Several years back, Idle spoke with the Sun-Times before a local stop on his “Greedy Bastard” tour.

“It’s kind of wonderful and bizarre to be related to a Chicago family,” he said at the time. “You know, it’s very normal for me, it’s very interesting and nice.”

Idle added, “I’m from, like, a different planet from the family, you know what I mean? But they’re very nice to me. They’ve got used to me and they put up with me.”

The septuagenarian Pythons — Idle, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin — are slated to hold a press conference Thursday, November 21 to formally announce their plans.