This September the Pasadena Theatre Company presents Lerner & Loewe classic Camelot from September 14-30th at the Kerr Center for the Arts in Severn, Maryland.

How do we explain the fascination we all have with Camelot?

Maybe it’s the idea of a lost civilization, a castle rising somewhere from the mist. Maybe it’s all those wizards and nymphs. Most likely it’s the myth of King Arthur and his royal court, all those noblemen sitting around a table deliberating the virtues of might versus right.

Camelot focuses on the love triangle of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and Sir Lancelot, one of Arthur’s greatest and most trusted Knights of the Round Table. The PTC production of Camelot struggles a little bit to tell the story, which makes sense given the mammoth size of the novel it is based on – The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Most people are familiar enough with the basics of the story that it is not a problem, but it can get a little confusing at times to figure out exactly what is going on.

The production is historically is very long and the dialogue is slow which is a challenge to any theater company. PTC struggled with a very sedate pace in this production and a presentational staging which at times became laborious. The auditorium was bone-chilling cold which did not help the brass who had severe intonation problems throughout the production.

King Arthur and Guenevere appear a little mismatched with the well-sung and mature Chuck Dick outpacing the charming & talented Liz Hester by a couple decades. Arthur comes off as bit too old for the beautifully vibrant Guenevere, which makes it a little unbelievable in the beginning that Guenevere is ever in-love with Arthur. However, it later helps when Guenevere becomes enamored with Lancelot, played convincingly by the charismatic Vincent Van Joolen.

Supporting cast members Ed Wintermute (Merlyn) and the very clever Rick Estberg (King Pellinore) add some humor and help round out this talented cast. Brandon Hendrickson, Brandon Dietrick and Chuck Donaldson (Sir Dinadan, Sir Lionel, and Sir Sagramore) perform quite well when given the chance in “Take Me to the Fair.” Things get exciting towards the end of both acts, respectively, with some sword fighting. It was nice to see more than a few characters involved in the action at once.

The costumes were well done and there was some creative scene changes which were well executed by the crew. Technically the show was consistently smooth and production elements were very seamless. The ensemble produced a good choral sound and likewise, the singing throughout the entire cast was solid. Orchestrally and choreographically, this show needs a tune-up.

All productions have their flaws but Pasadena Theatre Company’s engaging effort does capture the magic of Camelot. Don’t miss the “brief, shining moment”…”here in Camelot”.

Photo Gallery

Liz Hester (Guenevere), Vince Van Joolen (Sir Lancelot)	Michele Spencer (Lady Anne), Camela Ebaugh (Lady Cybil) (Ladies of the Court)
Tim Grieb (Mordred)	Chuck Dick (King Arthur)
Ed Wintermute (Merlin)	Vince Van Joolen (Sir Lancelot)
Maypole”>
“Lusty Month of May” – Children & Ladies Dancing around the Maypole	The town children as they were meeting King Pellinore and Horrid for the first time (not shown)

Photos provided by Pasadena Theatre Company.