Compelling Characters in "Camelot"

Unlike my fellow New Rep Reviewers, I was not familiar with the original production of Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot,” and I was actually (quite wrongly) expecting a campy rendition of the tale of the round table.   I was pleasantly surprised, then, when the musical exposed a beautiful love story between Arthur and Guenevere, painful questions of fidelity, the sorrows of watching a dream die, and the excitement born from a glimmer of hope.

The performance is humorous, and there are subtleties and innuendo within that humor that add complexities and enjoyment to the production.  In particular, Lancelot (Marc Koeck) is excellent with his sober expression and naïve piousness.  He is both the greatest white knight and the ultimate villain, and he plays both roles with an earnest likeability.  Also notable is Pellinore (Robert D. Murphy), a wizened, marginally batty King on a quest to find the infamous “Questing Beast,” who thankfully agrees to stop in Camelot and provide sarcastic wisecracks for the rest of the performance.

There are also a few lighthearted moments in the performance that are purely enjoyable, though they do little to further the plotlines.  Guenevere (Erica Spyres) leads the Knights of the Round Table and the ladies in waiting in a jaunty May Day dance scene.  Spyres previously performed at New Rep in Sondheim’s Marry Me a Little, where she had the opportunity to play the violin as accompaniment during the performance.  I was happy that “Camelot” afforded that same possibility.

The costume choices are a bit odd and at times distracting.  Merlin’s shirt looks like it is covered in fake blood, for example.  In addition, while some of the knights wear traditional leggings and tunics, others don hipster grey skinny jeans and glittery knit wool scarves.  It is not heavy-handed enough to make a statement about the universality or timelessness of the themes in “Camelot,” which might have redeemed some of the choices, but it is also not subtle enough to add uniqueness to the wardrobe.

The principal actors were universally strong in the New Rep’s performance of “Camelot” and the supporting cast is delightfully expressive, resulting in an exceptional night out at the theater.

--Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

A Beautiful Camelot

The Lerner & Lowe classic, Camelot is one of those shows brimming with great tunes that many people know.  I grew up listening to the original cast recording and it has always been a favorite.  Thankfully New Rep's production did not disappoint with the stellar cast that was assembled for this production.  My favorite is Erica Spyers and her portrayal of Guenevere; I can hardly say enough good things about her in this production.  I've seen her in several roles including appearing in New Rep's Master Class and Marry Me A Little, but in this role she truly shines from when we first hear her clear lovely voice singing of the simple joys of maidenhood.  Benjamin Evett is great as King Arthur and well matched with Spyers.  The two sound great together and have some great chemistry on stage.  Marc Coeck's Lancelot is played a little differently than I've pictured it, but his funny, hammy C'est Moi easily wins over the audience.  The rest of the cast is great with strong voice as solid direction by Russell Garrett.  

Costume designer Rafael Jaen had a grand task of creating many costumes for a large cast, but the results were spectacular.  Each of the many costumes looked great with lovely detail.  While mentioning all that I liked of this production, I must mention the piece that was certainly lacking was the sound and the orchestra.  At the beginning of the performance the orchestra was not fully together and the quality of the sound was rather tinny.  My companion commented to me that because of the sound she initially feared that it was a recorded orchestra, but then realize that they were live.  Such a classic musical with wonderful singers deserve a big strong sounding orchestra to match and hopefully many of the sound issues will be resolved. 

Camelot is not your traditional holiday musical, but it is definitely a treat and even though it clocks in around three hours it is a very enjoyable time.  This is a piece that doesn’t seem to get performed as often as it should, but it is certainly a joy to be able to see it on stage with such a talented cast.

~ Frank Furnari - New Rep Reviewer 

"Camelot" Shines

I admit to being a bit skeptical that New Rep’s Camelot could live up to the memories so many people hold of the original. And isn’t the plot a bit dated? I was completely won over. This is a really lovely production, just right for kicking off the holiday season. As with so many of the musicals of the sixties, the comedy and beautiful music are off-set by a very dark undertone. 

The actors playing Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot have a difficult line to walk. They must transition from the idealistic and somewhat silly people they are at the beginning of the play to people with whom we identify and sympathize, people whose tragic dilemmas touch us deeply.

Benjamin Evett gives us a very young at heart Arthur with an immature but ambitious vision of a peaceful and “civilized” society. He has more human frailties than the average king, but a sweetness that appeals to Erica Spyres’ Guinevere , overcoming her silly ambition to be the occasion of knightly combat. Marc Koeck is perfect as the handsome Lancelot who is vain of his virtue and somewhat oblivious to the impression he makes on Arthur and Guinevere. His entrance with “C’est Moi” is a great comic turn.

The show contains more beautiful Lerner and Lowe tunes than I remembered, and the singing of the three principals (and indeed everyone in the cast) is absolutely lovely, pure in tone and unforced, totally without the strained shouting that mars so much musical theater performance. Kudos to the invisible orchestra which manages to sound twice its size and provides perfect accompaniment, not an easy task when you are behind the scenery instead of in an orchestra pit.

The scenery is cleverly suggestive, a particular virtue of staging at New Rep. Costumes, however --especially for the female characters -- and choreography are serviceable but not up to New Rep’s usual very high standards.  (For example, Merlin's costume is really a shame, and gets in the way of the actor's good work.  Same with Guinevere's odd sari-type shawls.)

For those of us who are old enough to remember John F. Kennedy, “Camelot” is always particularly poignant, but even without the bittersweet sauce of those memories, this performance provides a charming and highly entertaining evening in the theater.

 ~ Johanna Ettin, with Shauna Shames