Camelot at MusicalFare Theatre is a re-imagined, fresh take on the oft-told Arthurian legend and quite a pleasure to behold.
by Ann Marie Cusella
See Camelot at MusicalFare Theatre until October 17th
Camelot at MusicalFare Theatre is a Great Twist on a Classic
MusicalFare Theatre’s re-imagined version of Camelot has fled the damp and foggy moors of England to bask in the sunshine and warmth of a tropical paradise.
Set on a sandy shore (Beach Blanket Camelot?) surrounded by palm trees and a flor de maga, the official flowering tree of Puerto Rico (hint as to location of the beach), a group of revelers meet to, well, revel. They joyfully welcome each other and ultimately decide to perform a legacy play – Lerner and Loewe’s musical, Camelot, about King Arthur, his consort Guinevere, her lover Lancelot du Lac, and the Knights of the Round Table.
Co-Directed and Staged by Carlos R. A. Jones and Victoria Perez, and adapted by David Lee, this Camelot is an energetic, lively production that tells the tale with a thoroughly modern sensibility. The cast is diverse and the actors, as befits a group of revelers at the seashore, wear Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and any number of beach-y outfits that were dreamed up by Costume Designer Kari Drozd, and Hair, Wig, and Makeup by Susan Drozd. And the sand is real, courtesy of Set, Light, and Sound Designer, Chris Cavanagh.
Camelot at MusicalFare Theatre is an award-winning, soaring musical
A great deal of humor offsets this tragic story of an idealistic king whose desire for an end to war is thwarted by the darker instincts of the human psyche, personified by his illegitimate son, Mordred, played with impish gusto by Arin Lee Dandes, and three of his own knights – the “very masculine” Sam Crystal, Sabrina Kahwaty, and Josh Wilde. While the four of them have great fun in the second act with the songs The Seven Deadly Virtues and Fie In Goodness, it is their actions that are the catalyst for the ruin of Arthur’s dreams.
Gabriella McKinley is a Guinevere for our times. Saucy and sarcastic, sexy and occasionally sweet, with a voice that can soar to the heavens and descend into the pits of despair, she is outstanding in the role. From belly dancing to a rather unusual pas de deux with Lancelot, she is a theatrical Renaissance woman.
Darryl Semira as Arthur seamlessly grows from a shy young boy who is an accidental king into a philosophical and tormented one as events out of his control and his own demons threaten to overtake him.
Camelot at MusicalFare Theatre
Alejandro Gabriel Gomez is Lancelot, whose devotion to purity is put to the test when he is overwhelmed by the charms of the Queen. While his voice is not as strong as some of the other cast members, one is never in doubt as to his unwavering devotion to both Arthur and Guinevere. His is a strong presence, and a tender one at times, too.
Musical Director Theresa Quinn sits on a platform in front of a keyboard stage right, sporting a beautiful white flower in her hair. The rest of the band are stage left – Joe Donohue on strings, Jim Runfola on reeds, and Jim Linsner on percussion. The music is top notch, as always with Ms. Quinn and her very talented musicians.
The familiar songs are all present and accounted for and performed expertly by the cast – Camelot, How to Handle a Woman, If Ever I Would Leave You – along with songs lesser known to this writer but performed equally well.
This is a very fresh take on the oft-told Arthurian legend and a pleasure to behold.
You can see it at MusicalFare Theatre through October 17th.
Dates, Tickets and More Information
Camelot at MusicalFare Theatre runs until October 17th, 2021. The running time of the production is approximately 2 hours & 10 minutes, including intermission.
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