Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Minneapolis/St. Paul

Camelot
National Tour

Also see Arthur's reviews of Carmen and River Road Boogie: The Augie Garcia Story


Tim Rogan, Adam Grabau, and Mary McNulty
Camelot is associated with the "good old days" of lush, romantic Broadway musicals, when characters could wear their hearts on their sleeves free of irony, and when big, booming romantic songs were the currency of the day, rather than a nostalgic look backwards. With music by Frederick Loewe and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, following their two uber-romantic smash successes—the Tony winning My Fair Lady and the Oscar winning film, GigiCamelot was yet another love story framed in a context of ethics and morals. Like its predecessors, it success did not require the eye-winking of Aladdin, the vulgarity of The Book of Mormon, the spectacle of The Lion King, or the jukebox hook of Jersey Boys.

Based on "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White, Camelot is the story of mythical King Arthur, who rose to power without seeking it under the tutelage of the wizard Merlin. After Arthur weds the beautiful and zestful Guinevere, he seeks to right the wrongs of the world, calling on knights of great skill and even greater virtue to join him at his round table (so designed to avoid having anyone sit at the head). Noblest among the knights is Sir Lancelot, dedicated to Arthur's high ideals. Yet, those ideals do not keep him from falling in love with Guinevere, and she with him. The resolution of this triangle, enflamed by the wicked Mordred (a son Arthur fathered years before, while under an evil sorceress's spell), bring the tale to a conclusion that, while tragic, leaves hope for future generations to learn lessons and build upon the idealism and virtues that were Camelot at its zenith.

Actually, the musical Camelot is more famous than might be expected, given its initial reception. It was warmly received, but not praised, by most critics. Richard Burton, as Arthur, won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, but Camelot itself was not even nominated for Best Musical that year. In fact, the winner was Bye Bye Birdie, the first musical to successfully bring rock music to Broadway, in stark contrast to the traditional mold in which Camelot was cast. Camelot ran over two years, largely on the wings of its illustrious stars—aside from Burton, Julie Andrews in her follow-up to My Fair Lady and freshly minted heartthrob Robert Goulet—and a musical scene broadcast on "The Ed Sullivan Show" that brought Camelot into millions of American living rooms.

But the cherished place Camelot holds in popular culture surely stems from its association with the legacy of President John F. Kennedy. In one of the first interviews she gave after his assassination, Jacqueline Kennedy revealed that her husband's favorite record was the Camelot original cast album, most of all the closing reprise of the title song, bearing the lyrics:

Let never be forgot,
that once there was a spot,
for one brief shining moment,
that was known as Camelot.

In a flash, the three years of Kennedy's presidency were dubbed "the days of Camelot" and the national memory of the slain leader and the musical became intertwined. While that has profound meaning to audience members of a certain age, it means not so much to more recent generations who experienced neither the American positivism of the Kennedy years nor the heartache of his death. Over time, the show, in spite of riveting characters and a score containing gorgeous songs, came to be viewed as dated in tone and construction. The question, then: how to give Camelot currency to win over new audiences and restore it to prominence among the golden age musicals?

Director Michael McFadden has addressed this question in the current touring production by reducing its running time from three hours to two hours, 20 minutes. This entailed omitting the beautiful "I Loved You Once in Silence" and the jaunty "Then You May Take Me to the Fair," while shortening several other songs; cutting the character of Mordred's mother, Morgan Le Fay; and quickening the pace overall. Also, the design has been radically changed from a storybook image of Arthurian England to a cold and ritualistic look one might expect in a film adaptation of some variant of Dungeons and Dragons, of perhaps TV's popular "Game of Thrones," influenced by the style sense of rock videos.

Dominating the setting is a large metallic structure that serves as a tree and a hilltop, and seems to cast a shadow of foreboding over all else. Rather than a providing a pastoral backdrop for "The Lovely Month of May", huge, bright flowers descend over the stage; rather than an elaborate throne room, an enormous gilded coat of arms similarly descends; instead of scenery we have icons, further shifting the look of the production from Camelot the musical to Camelot the video game. Between scenes, and especially as the story reaches its climactic end with the breathless Guinevere, we hear thunderous kettle drum beats, alerting us that tension is rife and that suspense should be mounting in our guts—in case the script and the performances fail to clue us in.

What works in this production are two luminous performances, and one great comic turn. Adam Grabau is a wonderful Arthur. He sings beautifully, and conveys a perfect blend of idealistic devotion and self-deprecating doubt. We can easily see how Guinevere would be won over by his idealism, his charm, and his kindness. For her part, Mary McNulty offers a beautiful and beautifully sung Guinevere. Her delivery of "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" (though it suffers from the up-tempo playing) reveals a knowing irony, spotting the "simple joys" of a royal maid as the blood-spilt woe of nations. Her Guinevere is a smart, loyal, and affectionate partner to Arthur, despite her tortured love for Lancelot. Tim Rogan as Lancelot is a less compelling portrayal. When we first meet him, his egotistical delivery of "C'est Moi" sets him up as a man whose pride does battle with his virtue. However, we do not see him softening as his attraction to Guinevere grows. His delivery of the show's hit song, "If Ever I Would Leave You," should convince us that these two are fated to be lovers, but there is little sizzle; that Rogan was off key on a couple of notes did not help his case.

The great comic turn is by Kasidy Devlin as Mordred. Mordred is without question a villain, but as played by Devlin, a villain we love to hate. His lithe movements—half slithering serpent, half pouncing cat—the exaggerated hisses and growls in his speech, and his flashing eyes, keep us totally attuned to his presence. Mark Poppleton does solid double duty as the sage wizard Merlin and the foolish but lovable King Pellinore, bringing comic relief to all of his scenes.

At its heart, Camelot maintains its majesty, the theme of conflict between our noblest impulses and our most human urges as universal as ever, and the score full of romantic and whimsical songs. Whether or not McFadden's approach is the ticket to a new life for the musical remains to be seen. For this viewer it is in overlooking, rather than embracing, the staging updates that the glories of Camelot are revealed.

Camelot ran May 12 - 17, 2015, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN. For information on the continuing tour, visitcamelottour.com.

Book and Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner; Music: Frederick Lowe; based on "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White; Original production directed and staged by: Moss Hart; Director: Michael McFadden; Scenic Design: Kevin Depinet: Costume Design: Paul Tazewell: Lighting Design: Mike Baldassari; Sound Design: Craig Cassidy; Musical Director: Marshall Keating; Musical Supervisor and Additional Orchestrations: Steven M. Bishop; Casting: Mark Minnick; Technical Supervisor: Scott Orlesky; Company Manager: Deborah Barrigan; Production Stage Manager: J. Andrew Blevins; Executive Producer: Stephen B. Kane.

Cast: Troy Bruchwalski (Sir Lionel, ensemble), Henry Constable (Tom of Warwick*) Brandon Cordeiro (Squire Dap, ensemble), Matthew Curiano (ensemble), Kasidy Devlin (Mordred), Mark Edwards (Sir Sagramore, ensemble), Alec Fischer (Tom of Warwick **), Adam Grabau (Arthur), Kate Williams Grabau (Lady Anne, ensemble), Andy King (ensemble), Jon McHatton (Sir Dinadan, ensemble), Mary McNulty (Guinevere), Lizzy Miller (ensemble), Mark Poppleton (Merlin, King Pellinore), Tim Rogan (Lancelot), Meg Schneider (ensemble), Kate Turner (Nimue, ensemble).

*performed May 13, 15, & 17

*performed May 12, 14, & 16


Photo: Phoenix Entertainment

Reviewed by Arthur Dorman


- Arthur Dorman


Also see the season schedule for the Minneapolis - St. Paul region