‘Camelot’ comes alive in Summerlin production

Marilyn LaRocque

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002 | 8:12 a.m.

Beautiful costumes, impressive sets, the excellent voices of Andrew Owens as King Arthur and Shannon Cangey as Guenevere, plus some solid ensemble singing and dancing, give life to an otherwise uneven, plodding "Camelot," staged by Signature Productions under the direction of Leslie Hadley.

"Camelot" was the last Broadway hit by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. It opened at the Majestic Theatre on Dec. 3, 1960, with Richard Burton as King Arthur, Robert Goulet as Sir Lancelot and Julie Andrews as Queen Guenevere. It's the kind of play that requires a strong, heavy hitter cast.

The story line is bigger than life -- King Arthur's quest for peace through the establishment of the Knights of the Round Table and the love triangle among the king, his queen and Sir Lancelot. It's not musical comedy. It's musical drama, and too big a burden to expect a local company of aspiring actors to carry off successfully.

So, where does "Camelot" fit in the entertainment scheme of things? It's a pleasant diversion, but it lacks pace and definitely doesn't achieve the excellence of last season's resounding Signature Production success, "Oklahoma."

Fortunately, Arthur/Owens and Guenevere/Cangey have very good voices. The play works best when they are onstage together.

As a couple, they interact well and express a sense of intimacy, affection and awareness of each other's feelings. Owens' voice is warm and friendly. He also has natural, expressive body language. Cangey's voice is crystal clear and lyrical, and she is a very pretty Guenevere.

Their duet "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" is charming, especially Arthur's efforts to show Guenevere how to whistle. Arthur's solo "How to Handle a Woman" combines youthful insecurity and a desire to please. Guenevere is delightful in "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood." And together they create a special vision of Camelot in the title song.

Rob Riley as Lancelot doesn't seem comfortable in the role, whether he is the arrogant, self-important egoist in quest of "perfection of mind and spirit" or the smitten lover of Guenevere. His best singing effort is "C'est Moi," in which he proclaims how superior he is. However, he has neither the voice nor breath control to meet the demands of the soaring "If Ever I Should Leave You." For some reason, he and Guenevere seem awkward, not intense, as lovers.

Lyle Fisher provides comic relief as the somewhat dotty Lord Pellinore. But his timing isn't quite on target, and his dialogue sometimes sounds ad-libbed. Karl Larsen doesn't quite have the handle on Merlin, either. They both try, but their interpretations are weak.

Brandon Albright as Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son by the sorceress Morgan le Fey, should be more menacing. His best scene is when he leads the knights he has corrupted in a mock fight song and dance to "Fie on Goodness."

Some of the best musical moments are provided by the ensemble and secondary leads. Their vocal commentary describing the jousts is marvelous fun.

The entire cast brings the show to a resounding finale with resonant, powerful harmony in a reprise of "Camelot."

Certainly the production is visually appealing. The costumes for the men are elegant. For their investiture ceremony, the knights wear robes of iridescent sheer fabric with wide, gold-beaded collars and gold emblems. The women's gowns are a floating pastel rainbow for the lively "Lusty Month of May," set around a colorful maypole. Provided by Star Costume, they are actually from the Robert Goulet touring production of "Camelot," in which Goulet plays Arthur.

The set and props, borrowed from Fullerton Civic Light Opera, are also handsome. The play opens with a huge tree in the center of the stage, from which Arthur first spies Guenevere. The royal chamber is decorated with a huge suspended tapestry. Elements of castle architecture change positions to create new environments, while the maypole scene is a lovely forest setting with a waterfall painted on the backdrop. The dance sequence for that scene and for "Fie on Goodness" were choreographed by Nicki Avery.

A small, live orchestra provides the musical background, adding a professional note to the production. However, their performance level is uneven, and the instrumentation lacked balance, particularly the two violins and trumpet. Since the sound system broadcasts period music to set the mood prior to the show, it was annoying to hear some of the musicians practicing before they actually played the overture.

The stated goals of Signature Productions are "to provide the highest quality family productions possible and provide an avenue for young performers to grow and develop their natural abilities." It meets those goals with "Camelot."