By Debbie Ditton
Camelot and its memorable songs come alive on the stage of the Ellen Eccles Theatre with a remarkable live orchestra and amazing voices in Cache Theatre Company’s current production. The legend of King Arthur, the knights of the round table, and a complicated tragic love triangle is a familiar, albeit tragic tale. The classic musical, by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music), based on the novel The Once and Future King (written by T. H. White), opened on Broadway in 1960 with a star-studded cast, including Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, Roddy McDowell, and Robert Goulet.
Fortunately, this production has a few local stars of its own, who absolutely shine in their roles. Guenevere is played by Eccles stage veteran Karlee Larsen, whose vocal skills are every bit up to the task. Her low notes are rich and her high notes sparkle. Each song she sings seems to be stronger than the one before it and I couldn’t pick a favorite if I had to. She has an exuberance that brings young Guenevere alive and her love for King Arthur (Jared Rounds) is believable and matures as the story progresses. It is fun to watch their relationship blossom and sad to see the strain that enters as her love for Lancelot (Jeffrey Olsen) grows. They play well off of each other and when King Pellinore (Cary Youmans) joins them, it is obvious that they all enjoy being onstage together.
Rounds brings a youthfulness to Arthur that immediately endears him to the audience. He ages convincingly throughout the show as he shoulders the weight of being a king. Rounds’ voice is full and warm and one of my favorite numbers in the show is the duet “What Do the Simple Folk Do?” with Guenevere. He is a seasoned actor and successfully carries the weight of the show on his shoulders.
Lancelot is an interesting character in this story. I can never tell if I am supposed to love him or hate him and this time was no exception. Olsen plays him larger than life, and although I am not sure if I would have made the same directorial choice, he is consistent and honest in his portrayal. (This is the choice the Broadway original had with Goulet playing Lancelot with so much bravado and hubris that it was happy and sad to see his fall.) His voice carries the role with ease and he certainly fills the stage with his rousing rendition of the audience favorite “C’est Moi.” He also has a consistent French accent, which is impressive. Being a romantic soul, I wanted to see more of the love between Guenevere and Lancelot grow and develop.
At this point, I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on Youmans’ delightful portrayals of both Merlyn and Pellinore. I love his voice, his diction is excellent, and his comedic timing is impeccable. I looked forward to each of his appearances on the stage. Mordred (Hyrum Hansen) is easy to hate and he and the strong male ensemble convincingly abandon their chivalry in the number “Fie on Goodness”. A newcomer to the Cache Valley theatre scene, I fully expect to see Hansen on the Eccles stage in future productions.
I appreciated the energy of the entire ensemble throughout the production, and there are stand out performances by Kathy Bateman (Morgan Le Fey) and Kacie Metz (Nimue). Choreographer Karyn Hansen showcases the exceptional ballet skills of additional ensemble members in the song “Follow Me” as well as in the scene where Morgan La Fey builds a wall around Arthur. Overall, Music Director Melody Francis and Orchestra Conductor Jay Richards bring a musical feast to the audience. The orchestra absolutely transports them to the magical kingdom of Camelot and the voices of the show’s leading characters are truly glorious.
Camelot is a lovely story and really part of America’s theater heritage. Cache Theatre Company does a fabulous job in bringing this sweet, tragic, gorgeous show to Utah’s theater audience. I’d suggest tweens and up simply because of the length of the show. But if you love knights and ladies, splendor and spectacle, make the drive to Cache Valley. “In short, there’s simply not a more congenial spot.”
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