CAMELOT at Montgomery Theater

Review by Neal Newman

April 16, 2023

Idealism is in short supply these days, so it is marvelous to report that the Montgomery Theater’s CAMELOT is a rousing success.  This monumental work by Lerner and Loewe is one of those musical plays that audiences really hope will succeed but usually doesn’t due to problems with the book.  Sunday’s audience was enormously pleased.

The first question readers will ask is how CAMELOT can be done on a tiny stage with eight performers.  Well, it can.  Director Stephen Casey has used Commedia Dell’ Arte techniques to a surprisingly inventive advantage. There are masks, and every major prop comes out of one trunk, and the moon is made of cardboard. The simply painted set by Pierce Rolli splits into various platforms as the cast announces the locations.  The handsome costumes by Linda B. Stockton aren’t specific to any period but effective.  The lighting by Jim Leitner is serviceable but not as inventive as his colleagues.  Musical director Christopher P. Ertelt does a masterful job on the electric piano.  But oh, for a real piano with percussive dynamics.

The real hero of this production is David Lee, who did the book adaptation.  Lee won nine Emmy awards for such TV classics as CHEERS and FRASIER and directed this adaptation at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2010.  He has received the blessing of the Lerner and Lowe heirs, and this version is now licensed by Musical Theatre International.

I believe this is the local premiere of this version, so it behooves us to contemplate what he has achieved.

1.  THE CHORUS HAS LITTLE TO DO.  Every high school student I have ever met has complained that this is a lousy chorus show.  Compared with L’IL ABNER, or GREASE, this musical offers few opportunities for the chorus, except for roles such as courtier and lady in waiting.  This version calls the chorus “Revelers,” as was common in a Commedia company.  They appear in nearly every scene, not only changing the scene but giving the principals someone to talk to.  Arthur usually performs I WONDER WHAT THE KING IS DOING TONIGHT alone, but now the revelers listen helpfully to his problem.  Later, when Mordred tells of the SEVEN DEADLY VIRTUES, he is shown trying to convert the local knights, who then immediately segue into FIE ON GOODNESS
   • _{.Jackie Washam as Guinevere with Revelers in Take Me to the Fair}

_{Vanessa Sterling as Mordred with knights in Fie on Goodness}

2.   THE ROLE OF ARTHUR IS THE ONLY DEVELOPED CHARACTER.  Yes, that may be true In Lerner’s original, but the Montgomery players have added many character traits that enhance audience involvement.  Jackie Washam as Guinevere is not a stolid heroine in a sword and sandals romance.  She is an independent young woman who is very aware of her situation in life.  She likes Arthur but is drawn to Lancelot because of his total commitment to Arthur’s dreams and also to his gorgeous masculine persona.  Her best acting moment is TAKE ME TO THE FAIR, where she seduces the local knights to kill Lancelot.  Her entire performance is enhanced by the creamy vocals that she brings to every number.  Lancelot is usually perceived as a boring boor, but as played by Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton he brings unexpected humor and pathos to the role.  The romance of Lance and Jenny has always been a weak point in Lerner’s book, but Lee has added a duet to BEFORE I GAZE AT YOU AGAIN that makes their self-discovery almost believable.

_{Kevin Toniazzo Naughton and Jackie Washam}

3. THE THREE-HOURS RUNNING TIME has been a problem for audiences, who find portions of the first and second acts a trial.  This version runs for two hours and fifteen minutes (the length of a usual musical), and every moment is involving.  Every word of Lerner’s original was well considered, especially since he was adapting T. H. Whites’s magnificent one thousand-plus page novel THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING.  Every excision must have caused Lee enormous pain, but it now seems that this version could have been what Alan Jay Lerner and Moss Hart might have envisioned had they not been hindered by illness and the challenge of being so close to the original book.  I did not miss Pellinor and his questing beast or Nimue though fans of the book may do so.

4.  CAMELOT IS GROSSLY INFERIOR TO THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING.  Yes, even though CAMELOT is now a good musical, T.H. White’s book is a classic.  Its thousand pages contain much detail of King Arthur’s England, complete with magic, sorcery, and courtly love.  It is written in White’s original style, which is quite different from Lerner’s (albeit excellent) clever and intellectual approach.  And White’s book doesn’t have Loewe’s memorable music that has always made CAMELOT a favorite recording.

But enough dramaturgy.  The cast is sprightly and moves the show at a lightning pace.  The “Revelers” may not be the greatest singing chorus, but they enliven every scene.  Special mention must go to James E. Ofalt, who sang an operatic Sir Lionel and in Sunday’s performance, sang a tender Lancelot from behind the piano due to the leading actor’s indisposition.  Vanessa Sterling was right on as Mordred, who convincingly causes the downfall of Arthur’s dreams. Both performers were also excellent in Montgomery Theater’s THE UNDERSTUDY.   Patrick Ludt as Arthur is powerful in the final scenes as a movingly mature Arthur.  His youthful first act is hindered by a thick American accent and an insecure performance with a speaking voice lacking volume and resonance. The excellent cast was completed with Keith Livingstone, Michael O’Hara, and Emily Wick.

_{Kevin Taniazzo-Naughton and James E. Olfalt as Lancelot and Lionel}

Will David Lee’s adaptation replace the Lerner original?  The audience responded to the story in ways I have never seen in some seven or eight previous productions.  It certainly was a delightful surprise to me.

RUNNING TIME: Two Hours and fifteen minutes with an intermission.

CAMELOT plays through May 7, 2023 at Montgomery Theater, 124 N. Main Street, Souderton, PA.  Tickets can be obtained at www.montgomerytheater.org or by calling 215-723-9984