Previews: CAMELOT at The Cape Playhouse

The Cape Playhouse, the longest-running professional summer theatre in the country, will present Lerner & Loewe's musical, Camelot. After a 43-year absence, this award-winning masterpiece will again grace the Playhouse's stage from August 16th - 26th, directly following its current production of An American in Paris.

Founded in 1927 by Raymond Moore, the Cape Playhouse was reputed by the New York Times as "the place where Broadway goes to Summer." Moore's vision was to create a smart, sophisticated summer theatre with some of the world's most noted stage and screen professionals - a dream that has since been realized tenfold. Within its 96 years in operation, the Playhouse has featured world-class talent in shows produced specifically for its stage. It has seen the likes of such legends as Julie Andrews and Ginger Roberts, and since its opening has continued to uphold a high caliber of professional theater. It has also been named one of the 50 Best Small Stage Theaters in America. 

Based on "The Once and Future Knight" by T.H. White and featuring an eight-person cast, the Playhouse is proud to present Lerner & Loewe's Camelot: a show that has only grown in popularity since its debut. This year's fourth Broadway revival received five Tony Award nominations, including “Best Revival of a Musical.”

The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guenevere and Sir Lancelot continues to enthrall audiences with its rich, romantic score, along with the conflicting loves and loyalties among the three main characters. An idealistic King Arthur hopes to build a kingdom based on honor and justice by creating his Knights of the Round Table. However, his dream is tested when his lovely queen, Guenevere, falls in love with the dashing young knight, Lancelot. Their betrayal of King Arthur’s trust puts the fate of the entire kingdom in jeopardy.

At the helm is Director/Choreographer Josh Walden, who served as Associate Director/Choreographer for the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Ragtime. His regional director and choreographer credits include The Full Monty, Smokey Joe’s Café, A Chorus Line, Legally Blonde, 42nd Street and On the Town. 

This Playhouse production features an updated book by David Lee. First performed in 2014, Lee scaled down the original three-hour musical and made it more intimate and engaging for audiences.  Lee is a multiple Emmy Award-winning, multi-hyphenate television producer. He was co-creator of Wings and Frasier, a writer/producer of Cheers and a director for Everybody Loves Raymond.

In his pared-down adaptation, Lee wanted to clear the clutter of a large cast, extravagant sets and lavish costumes, focusing instead on the love triangle of three young and idealistic people while honoring the musical score which he had always loved. The result is a scintillating, leaner version that goes to the heart of the story – the conflicting loves and loyalties of the three main characters – while keeping intact its beloved, lush score. 

Camelot features such well known musical favorites as "If Ever I Would Leave You” and “I Loved You Once in Silence.”

Taking on the role of Guinevere is Lissa deGuzman, who just finished Legally Blonde as
Vivienne at KC Starlight. Lissa made her Broadway debut in King Kong (2019), then joined the cast of Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway before doing the National Tour of Aladdin as Jasmine. She also starred as Elphaba in the National Tour of Wicked, a role she had long coveted.

Joining her on stage is Jonathan Burke as King Arthur and Karl Josef Co as Lancelot. Jonathan has been seen on Broadway in The Inheritance (Tony Award winner for Best Play), in addition to Choir Boy and Tuck Everlasting. He has also appeared in several TV series including Harlem (Prime Video), New Amsterdam (NBC) and Only Murders in the Building (Hulu). Karl’s credits include Monty in A Gentleman’s Guide (Broadway On Demand), plus regional theatre productions of The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Mamma Mia! and Into The Woods. He was most recently seen as Louis in the NBC heist drama The Endgame, and has appeared in the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and the CBS series Madam Secretary.

Following Camelot (August 16-August 26), the Cape Playhouse closes the season with
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (August 30-September 9).

To purchase single tickets or a season subscription/Flex Pass,  please visit www.capeplayhouse.com.

In addition to professional live theatre, the not-for-profit Playhouse is committed to youth programs and education, striving to serve the local community. The historic theatre is situated on an expansive 22-acre campus along with the Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Cape Cinema.

As the summer winds its way down, please be sure to take advantage of all that the Cape Playhouse has to offer as part of its exciting 97th season!

 

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