Camelot: a very tasty show
Playful Theatre Productions
is a 20 year old community theatre company with an unusual structure. It has
four permanent members, four energetic and highly committed women, who produce
two shows every year at the Kelsey Theatre Mercer County Community
College West Windsor , N. J. They comprise one of twelve resident companies
sharing the venue. They say, “We try to do shows that are fun, audience-friendly, and
give all different kinds of people the opportunity to perform in a supportive,
friendly environment.” And that’s what they’ve done with depth, dazzle and
pluck in their current production of Camelot.
The first thing to say is the singing is glorious. The ensemble singing is
magnificent, and that’s not easy with so many simply outstanding solo voices,
including Kate McCabe as the water nymph Nimue whose voice is as magical as her
character. She is typical of the kind of surprise you wil find in this
production—gems of brilliance studding a very well-known story.
Wiliam Kamps is a wonderful, versatile Arthur struggling to keep thinking
and passionate about justice trumping force. His recognition that reason is
double-edged as he bares his pain in his solliloquy to Excaliber brought not a
few kleenex out of pockets in the audience. And his singing voice is strong and
beautiful.
Kami Matthews as Guenevere wins us
from the moment she appears, delivering “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood” with
impish innocence and lighting the stage with angry sparks as she stands down
the arrogant Lancelot when they first meet.
And her voice, well, I’m running out of ways to say fabulous. An
absolutely first rate musical theatre voice.
One more mention, and that is for Dominick Sannelli as Mordred whose
character movement is so naturally snake-like as to bring on involuntary
shudders at his unctuous evil. He sings, dances and acts the socks off the
part. A real standout in a supporting role.
It is not a perfect production. I have two notes. The first is about a set
piece, a truly beautiful set piece looking like a ten-foot stained glass window
frame stationed upstage center throughout. When it works, it works beautifully.
The staging flows seamlessly into a triangle with Arthur lit in front of the
stained glass which symbolizes the sanctity of his intentions while Guenevere
is lit down stage left and Lancelot lit downstage right, creating a
stage-picture which perfectly illustrated the tragic struggles going on in the
plot.
But there are numerous stage pictures in which this beautiful set piece is
an odd distraction. The first scene takes place in the woods, and there is this
beautiful stained glass window piece standing there like a shrine. It didn’t
seem to belong in the scene. It drew focus and confused my eye a number of
times through the play.
The second, and more serious, note has to do with the incident in the story
which provokes the major turning point in the plot—Lancelot’s ressurection of
Lionel after the joust. Lionel is dead stage left. Lancelot enters stage right
and takes a walk across the width of the stage, not in any particular hurry,
bends down beside Lionel and, before you could say shoe-shine, Lionel
was up and gone. There didn’t seem to be a lot of anguish or effort on
Lancelot’s part, as though he were performing his normal, Tuesday ressurection..
This significant moment passed too quickly and without clearly communicated
emotional content.
But that’s it. Just two. And those are not deal breakers. This show is
worth the price of the ticket and then some. If you want a delicious retelling
of the Arthur legend with beautifully rendered music and flashing gems of brilliance
provided by a marvelously talented cast, see this show. What’s not there will
make no difference as you step out of the theatre enchanted and inspired.
My reviews go to Stage Magazine. If you have never visited their site, please do (click the link http://www.stagepartners.org/ ). You will be astonished at the amount and variety of fine, live theatre being enacted every week in the Greater Delaware Valley.
Camelot
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay
Lerner
Music by Frederick Lowe
Directed by Frank Ferrara
until October 30
Playful Theatre Productions
at the Kelsey Theatre
609-570-3333
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