By Amanda VanNostrand.
Guenevere and King Arthur, knights, swords, magic, and more await you at Act II Playhouse in Ambler, PA until June 24th. Camelot, based on the book The Once and Future King by T.H. White, is a musical that will please any and all who appreciate solid theater and a good, classic story.
Camelot tells the legend of King Arthur. The story begins with King Arthur and his men awaiting the arrival of the beautiful Guenevere who is about to be his bride and queen of Camelot. After the two marry, Arthur decides that he is a pacifist and wishes for great men from surrounding areas to come together and peacefully discuss political matters as an alternative to war. Lancelot arrives as one of these men, seemingly arrogant and perfectly revolting. As events ensue, however, it turns out that he is quite as perfect as he claims to be and the romantic love story encircling Arthur and Guenevere becomes a messy love triangle. As Arthur attempts to handle the affair of his wife and friend in addition to the messy political shame created by his son Mordred, things seem to crumble and the lovely story turns tragic.
Camelot is a musical. Fortunately the cast is more than adept at singing and performing because without their prominent strength as actors and singers, some could consider the music as a potential distraction. Though a few songs can be somewhat catchy, it seems that at times the music is simply an extra, unnecessary piece to the show that is already so solid in its storyline. Despite the disappointing melodies, the voices of each actor and actress are so strong that the show and the music remain enjoyable, even as the audience waits for more of the story to unfold between song breaks.
The cast, both as a whole and individually, is phenomenal. In addition to her role as Managing Director of Act II Playhouse, Eileen Cella plays the part of Guenevere. Through Cella, Guenevere is not a woman in the background of Camelot but is as much a strong presence as (if not more than) King Arthur. Her grace, beauty, and confidence combined with her flawless musical talent make her a seemingly authentic queen. Jeffrey Coon is King Arthur, and he gives Arthur that perfect mix of charm and naïveté. Coon and Cella work well together as Arthur and Guenevere, ensuring that they are a couple to root for. And although we do not wish to like him, Lancelot is played by Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton and he, too, brings charm to the stage. His good looks and appeal resonate (eventually) and he is (becomes) a pleasure to watch. The entire cast is talented and works well together, causing some of the most enjoyable scenes to be those where they are (almost) all on the stage together. The jousting scene, for example, is comical and perfect due to the ability of all cast members to move and act simultaneously.
With a story such as Camelot, one might expect scenery depicting something fantastical and majestic -castles and magical forests, perhaps? However, the background of this particular production is fairly simple and bleak. There are times when props are added to the stage but no ‘wow’ moments ensue in regard to scenic design. However, the show is consistently strong and enjoyable, so no harm done whatsoever. (Perhaps this adds more gusto to the performance, as the setting of the story can be understood and appreciated simply by being in the presence of the actors.)
Act II’s production of Camelot is wholly enjoyable and successfully places the audience inside King Arthur’s epic tale. Add some magic to your spring and go see this show!