By Steve Odenthal
Camelot, that dream of a new age of chivalry where “Might for Right” prevails, exists in Perry, Utah, at the Heritage Community Theatre on Friday, Saturday, and Monday nights throughout the month of June. Grab a seat at the round table and visit a magical time and place when Guenevere (Karlie Clark) was Queen to a noble King Arthur (Timothy Coral Mair). Spend an enchanting evening with the knights and ladies of Arthur’s court as they test the borders of love, nobility, loyalty, chivalry, and deceit in an ornate and robust telling of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s https://www.mtishows.com/lerner-loewe Broadway masterpiece. I was there for opening night of the show, and I was impressed. You will be too as this small theatre, which seats 200, adds this classic to their growing list of bigger-than-life productions.
The play opens with our good King Arthur up a tree and Merlyn (William Bruce Baird) down below seeking the young sovereign. It seems that a marriage has been arranged for Arthur, and our young, awkward king is experiencing a bit of trepidation. Leaping down to the ground, Arthur explains his apprehension, making evident the awkwardness and even innocence that is at the core of the boy wearing the crown. Mair, wonderfully adept at the knitted brow and a fidgety goodness that humanizes the king, immediately endears himself to the audience and sets a tone for what is to come. Merlyn, a wizard of a man who has literally seen it all, has no doubt prepared Arthur for the stormy time ahead in this Bermuda Triangle of true love. Arthur loves Guenevere. Guenevere first loves Wort (Arthur’s nickname when the two first meet) but, bored, grows to love the handsome confident Lancelot (Jason Whitaker). Lancelot loves a mirror, a good battle, King Arthur, and, of course, Guenevere—not necessarily in that order. What to do? What to do?
In this telling, what to do is to sing. And the singing is a highlight in this production. Annette Whitaker’s vocal coaching and work with the cast bring this show to a level of excellence that might surprise you — it shouldn’t. With tremendous ballads to feast upon, Camelot lets its principals strut their stuff. You will simply be amazed at the quality of voices throughout this cast, but then this particular theatre has a reputation of musical excellence. Mair and Clark both treat us to an easy talent that blends nicely in “Camelot” and their individual numbers, teaching us the intricacies of their individual characters. This is not a “park and bark” production by any means. You will be pulled into the show very deeply and immediately. Fair warning here, however: this is a longer show, running a full 90 minutes before intermission, but I was fully engaged by it. Certainly, there is nothing I would change in the staging, but consider the time commitment as you make your purchase decision. Because of length, I also recommend the show only for audience members ages 12 and up.
Whitaker as Lancelot makes us believe that it is only logical that he is the answer to most any prayer; whether you wish for a warrior or a lover, his name should be the natural answer. The actor seems quite at home with the character’s strut and carries off “C’est Moi” with an infectious and powerful voice. So good and compelling is Whitaker’s portrayal that I found myself re-enacting the scene at home. My wife’s response was a terse, “Not the same.”
When a show has leads this strong, it is difficult to single out any particular actor as being extraordinary, so why try? From top to bottom, this cast is extraordinaire.
Director Dee Pace is a well-seasoned hand and absolutely loves anything Lerner & Loewe, although this is his first time directing this particular show. He knows there is meat on the bones of this show and that it has its place in today’s world. He also knows how to cast, bringing age and experience to play with young, fresh talent. This theatre seems to understand the role of community theatre; the Heritage Community Theatre provides an artistic presence where dawning talent is mentored by veteran experience, collectively bringing a fresh message to the community, and everyone is the better for it.
One directorial choice I liked is the varied ages of the Ladies in Waiting (Meryln Denkers, Rachel Hunt, Stacey Keller, Marsha Holmes, Rebecca Genther, Maren Bishop). It would have been easy to cast only youth in these roles, but we don’t really know how long they have been waiting, do we? So there logically would be a diversity of ages in the group. There is a nice interaction between these players, and they work well together, moving the show along.
What is a production of Camelot without its knights? The Sirs are worthy of their quests in this outing. These noblemen (James Shurtleff, Caderik Wilson, William Bruce Baird, Quinton Geilman, Michael Thompson, Tyson Lemke) at the king’s command are upright and honest, dedicated whole-heartedly to Arthur. Each of the actors is convincing in their combat-ready armor, brandishing broadswords that, in one case, would take a pickup truck to transport between battles. If you crave the action of a swordfight or two, Camelot offers the real thing because these actors have trained for hours with a live combat-staging coach, Allen Smith, to safely bring the experience to life before an audience.
Every show must have some comic relief. Sir Pellinore (Aaron Linford) is more than up for the job. I truly enjoyed the delivery of some of his best lines. Linford shows a gift for comic timing as he totes his huge broadsword and advises the king on any number of subjects. The audience delighted anytime the character sets upon the stage. Linford’s comedic efforts are aided by a brief cameo performance by a dog named Boo whose understated portrayal is surprisingly memorable.
From a technical standpoint, the show’s quality set (Nathan Hess, Greg Lemke, Harold Hess, Michael Clark) is fully functional in every scene. On a smaller stage like this one with essentially no wing space, efficiency of design is mandatory, but that never encumbers the action or the experience. I admit that a few times I wished for a more idealistic look or brighter shine from the stage set, but I quickly realized that with the pure numbers in this cast, it is the actors who should shine, not the backgrounds.
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Nedra Pace handles both the choreography and musical direction of this show, and she does so wonderfully. It is difficult to make a large cast on a small stage look uncrowded, but that is exactly what Pace is able to do somehow. There was never a time in this show where I felt that too many were invited to the party. With the talents of all involved onstage, I am sure she had no lack of potential performers in any of the numbers, but she was able to make the look of each number and scene seem right-sized. I enjoyed that aspect of this show. Another nice touch added is to replace traditional jokers and jesters with tumblers (Lulu Hurd, Brooke Jacobson, Breanne Jacobson) to change things up just a bit and to give young talent a bit of stage experience.
Costumer Samantha Merkley and her seamstresses (Tina Mair, Sharla Ream, Kelsy Singleton) do an absolutely fantastic job of gowning the court with apparel that seems like a regal fashion show. I recognized cloaks, gowns, and garb from other shows and venues around the state. Most of them had been a statement piece at those other places, and yet, because of the double-casting of this show, separate costumes had to be prepared for each Queen. This is no small undertaking but adds so very much to the production values of the show, it needs to be mentioned prominently. Great job.
On the technical side of the house where everything can go wrong in a heartbeat on opening night (or really on any night), there was a minor glitch in this performance where a mic was left open once and both the audience and the royal couple heard the correction. These things do happen in live theatre but are a rarity at this venue. A quick correction handles the situation easily.
Marci Lemke (sound design and music operator), John Harlow (light design), Amanda Mayne, Hydee Weeks, Spencer Nelson (technical operators), and Wes Geilman (stage manager) do an admirable job of highlighting others while not being noticed themselves. Whether bringing the fog or highlighting the action on stage, a lot of the audience’s enjoyment is in their hands, and they do their parts well.
I saved the featured players of the group for last here, but that does not mean they went unnoticed. Squire Dap (Greg Lemke) seems to be everywhere in this play, rounding out and mentoring the action without absorbing too much of the spotlight as he helps others shine. Mordred (Quinton Geilman) is delightfully distasteful in his portrayal of the key villain of the piece — you just know that no one enjoys this character’s company. Morgan Le Fey (Marsha Holmes) exudes “Evil, but I’m on my day off” badness as she and Modred barter over chocolate treats.
As mentioned, this show is double-cast, literally. The role of Guenevere is shared in this run by two well-established and qualified actresses who bring a very high quality to the stage. I was able to see Clark on opening night and was dazzled by her voice and portrayal of this difficult role. Guenevere must win us over as she tells the young Arthur of her thoughts of being admired and even ravished, but at the same time keep us cheering for her happiness as things progress. A difficult task, indeed, since we know that Lancelot is soon to complicate things. This show is a case, director Pace says, where “We had two ideal candidates for Guenevere (Kenzie Thompson and Clark), and neither had the schedule to allow a full run. We were very lucky to have their schedules blend so nicely.”
And speaking of double-casting, Tom of Warwick (Jaxon Baird, Ian Capener) deliver a wide-eyed innocence to the real world as Arthur exhorts them to tell the world there once was a place, a thought, a dream of Camelot. Additionally, the role of Page (Michael Mair, Jacen Mair, Austin Lemke) is embraced by eager young talent who are cast well. Some might say even too well. Young Austin Lemke endured a trampoline-related accident in May that resulted in two full-arm casts (yes, he is truly double-casted), and a new young talent, Mair, accepted the challenge.
I thoroughly enjoyed Camelot at the Heritage Community Theatre and believe you will as well. You will see high quality in a classic show and hear voices that will stay with you for days to come. This is an economically priced, family-friendly theatre that would love to see you as a patron. I urge you to speak with one of the hosts and hear about the upcoming season or learn a bit of the history of this former church house turned into a modern theatre. You should be here.
Heritage Community Theatre presents Camelot by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
Heritage Community Theatre, 2505 South Highway 89, Perry, Utah 84302
June 8-30, Monday, Friday-Saturday 7:30 PM
Tickets: $10-12 Contact: 435-723-8392
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