Review: CAMELOT at Village Theatre

Dear Readers, I am loathed to admit that, even though I am a self-proclaimed musical theater geek, there are some gaps in my experiences.  Only recently did I see “Tommy” for the first time.  And Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot” is one of those gaps of an older show that I was just never exposed to.  I mean, I know many of the songs, “If Ever I Would Leave You”, “The Lusty Month of May” and, of course, the title song to name just a few.  But I’ve never seen it, on stage or the movie.  And I will admit to a bit of trepidation when heading out to Village Theatre to catch it last night for the opening of their season.  Will I appreciate this old chestnut or is it just too dated?  Well, I’m happy to say that what I witnessed last night is what I like to refer to as theatrical alchemy, when all the parts of a show, cast, set, direction, costumes, etc., all come together to form gold.

Based on T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King”, it’s the legend of King Arthur.  Well, some of it.  Mostly where Arthur (Harter Clingman) weds Guenevere (Jessica Skerritt) and forms the Knights of the Round Table.  But when Guenevere falls for the dashing Sir Lancelot (Adam James King), and the scheming Mordred (Nik Hagen) comes to Camelot, all that Arthur has built is in danger of crumbling to the ground.

First off, let me say that this is not your mother’s “Camelot”.  With a new book adaptation from David Lee and orchestrations from Steve Orich, this pared down production only has 8 actors, where the show usually casts a much larger ensemble.  And with an 8-person orchestra, deftly lead by Musical Director Michael Nutting, this is a more intimate production but with no less heart.

First, I need to start with the Production Team who brought in a stunning look and feel for the show.  Parmida Ziaei set is deceptively simple.  With its gorgeous shades of stonework, it could be described as a sparse platform and staircase on which to play, but the practicality of it is so much more complex with hidden footholds and anchor points allowing locales to be switched out on a dime.  And suddenly this mid-sized stage feels epic in scale.  Pete Rush’s costume design brings in an incredibly rich palette but never takes it over the top.  And those vibrant costumes even managed to convey beautifully the countries of origin for the Knights.  Lighting Designer Alberto Segarra creates a spectacular, ever-changing horizon on which the on-stage orchestra cast their silhouettes, as well as going from romantic mood to stark reality to terrifying battle with incredible effect.  And I must mention that fire sequence.  Gorgeous!  Adding into that is Robertson Witmer’s delightful sound design complete with that effective but never intrusive hum showing the characters going in and out of inner monologues.

If all that weren’t enough the staging is absolutely inspired.  Director Adam Immerwahr has found the humor of the piece and brought it forward making the show more accessible to a modern audience but doesn’t turn it into a parody.  And his love for the piece shows through with the care and thoughtfulness he’s put into his direction.  Equally stunning are the choreography from Kathryn Van Meter and fight choreography from Geoffrey Alm that I can only assume were created in tandem as many of the dance moments felt like action sequences, especially that rousing introduction to the world of the play that must be experienced. 

And then there was this glorious cast.  Let’s start with Rhys Daly who proves the adage that there are no small parts.  Playing multiple, often non-speaking roles, he leaps around the stage one minute, cracks us all up the next, and then ends the piece as the enduring heart of the story with ease.  Equally hilarious in seemingly small roles is Nik Hagen who turns in some fantastic physical comedy in act one only to return in act two as the deliciously conniving Mordred who led the Knights in an amazing rendition of “The Seven Deadly Virtues”. 

And let’s talk about those Knights.  Jadd Davis, Brandon O’Neill and Matthew Posner delightfully bring us the wonderful Sirs Lionel, Dinadan, and Sagramore.  Bringing in some gut busting comic relief as well as some harrowing fighting and jousting sequences, kudos to all three for thrilling us all evening.

But this show is about the love triangle, and let me tell you, it’s palpable.  King as Lancelot gives us a fabulous, swaggering blow hard only to seduce us all (and Guenevere) seemingly out of nowhere.  And his chemistry with Skerritt is outstanding, but she is by no means a prop for the men in the piece as she commands, rules, and powers her way through, easily manipulating all around her.  But that’s not to say she doesn’t feel as her romance with King is lovely, as is her relationship with Clingman as Arthur, which makes the love triangle even more heartbreaking.  And Clingman as our King, and the absolute heart of the show, brings in a wonderfully engaging and affable character.  He commands our attention from the top and delivers a King we want to listen to.  And his arc throughout the show, both in journey as well as age, is a sight to behold.  And, of course, all three as well as the rest of the cast, deliver some soul shattering and blissfully beautiful vocals.

To put it in the vein of the show, Village has found some old dusty sword in a stone, and with strength and heart, pulled it from the stone to signify their greatness.  And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give Village Theatre’s production of “Camelot” a “perfect introduction to a gap in my geekdom” YAY+.  Village proves “in short, there's simply not a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than here in Camelot.”

“Camelot” performs at Village Theatre in Issaquah through October 13th before moving to their Everett location running October 19th through November 10th.  For tickets or information visit them online at www.villagetheatre.org.

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