What is it that made
Lerner and Loewe’s CAMELOT such an enduring success? Certainly it’s Alan Jay Lerner’s brilliantly witty lyrics and, of course, the grandeur of the Arthurian
legend… but what if you scaled the musical down to its essentials? The Lyric
Stage does just that, using David Lee’s intimate adaptation of CAMELOT (playing
through June 25th) which eliminates extraneous characters (including
Merlin)!
Director Spiro
Veloudos does with CAMELOT what he did with SWEENEY TODD a few seasons back,
making it more focused, less grand (as in Guignol) and surprisingly resonant to
today’s political and ethical climate. I couldn’t watch Lyric’s SWEENEY without
thinking of the countless innocent men in this country, like the barber,
wrongly convicted and sent to prison.
As I watched
Veloudos’ streamlined, almost naturalistic CAMELOT, I concentrated on Arthur’s
vision for equality in a “country of laws” (as opposed to the love story). Its
corruption by a few self-serving traitors now stands out in sharp relief. You
can’t help but consider our “nation of laws” being subverted and gerrymandered
right out from under our feet.
So. What is enhanced
in a production that is realistic… and what is lost? Matters of life and death
are quite real in Veloudos’ inspired staging: When Lancelot (Jared Troillo)
brings the very dead Sir Lionel (Davron S. Munroe) back to life, it’s not with
his will, it’s with his whole being, as if he’s summoning up an exchange of
life breath at the expense of his own existence. It’s quite a coup. It’s no
wonder Arthur (Ed Hoopman) and Guenevere (Maritza Bostic) are both drawn to the
man. (Veloudos’ characters are very much down to earth, with all of the
mistakes mortals make, even the best of men.)
The broad humor for
the most part is left behind. Lancelot’s pompous “C’est Moi” isn’t as overblown
and riotous as it often is but Veloudos does allow some of the ruckus back in,
with the anarchists in Act II. Not in life, mind you, but in art it’s often the
bad guys who are most fascinating. Rory Boyd makes Mordred a charismatic, go
for broke villain, with “The Seven Deadly Virtues” a delightful frolic, topped
only by the delicious “Fie on Goodness” romp featuring Munroe’s lusty Scotsman.
I must admit, it was exhilarating to have some passion back in CAMELOT.