A Fresh Camelot Is Resplendent

Camelot/book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner/music by Frederick Loewe/choreographed by Mark Esposito/directed by David Lee/Pasadena Playhouse/through February 7

David Lee's re-envisioning of the classic musical hit Camelot works miraculously on the Pasadena Playhouse mainstage. Cutting the excess makes all the difference.

Trimming the original script, keeping the action flowing in front of one basic scaffold set on a raked stage, also keeping the costuming simple, and reducing the large cast to 8 put the storyline front and center... and keep emphatic the interactions amongst the 3 main characters. Camelot is blessed with a beautiful score by Lerner & Loewe, but its main problem has always been its length and too much attention to a bevy of characters that prevent the plot from moving forward at a smooth clean pace. The only female in this production is Guenevere: makes perfect sense, as she's the principal object of all the knights' lust. Some songs have been cut and others shifted around, but it's all grande in the end.

The acting is superb. Shannon Stoeke has the role of his career as Arthur. He is boyish, but stands tall; as a ruler, befuddled but unbelievably wise. His is a performance of truth and strength. Shannon Warne as Guenevere is a treasure. She has a simply beautiful singing voice and as an actress makes Genny's disloyal actions and pain honest and clear. Doug Carpenter makes a fine Lancelot. A great singer, Carpenter has grown tremendously as an actor since I first saw him in CLOSBC's Cinderella a couple of years back. Will Bradley is a deliciously wicked Mordred; Andrew Ross Wynn as Sagramore, Zachary Ford as Lionel and Richard R. Segall as Dinadan make the manly knights as fun and pleasant to watch as the Marx Brothers. Seth Daley rounds out the great cast as Tom. When not center stage the actors lurk in the background and change props and set pieces, creating the perfect ensemble.

Tom Buderwitz is to be congratulated once more for a striking set, Maggie Morgan as well for her ageless costumes, Mark Esposito for his colorful choreography, especially in "The Lusty Month of May" and David Lee, master director for his unique vision and staging.

What a rare experience for this new production to be, in its own special way, as memorable as the original. Whereas the original, in spite of its length, had elegance, sophistication and charm, this thoroughly fresh Camelot allows the themes of harmony and peace to echo resplendently.