By Philip Dorian
Last year Two River Theater Company presented a semi-staged version of “The Music Man” with a cast of 11 and seven musicians. Now they’re doing a scaled-down “Camelot” with eight and eight, which, considering the result, is enough.
Referring to Camelot as “a fleeting wisp of glory” has never been more apt.
Condensing some book-heavy musicals, while preserving the musical numbers, can be a win-win – for audiences as well as theater companies’ bottom line. Based on “The Once and Future King,” T. H. White’s tale of the King Arthur legend, the over-stuffed “Camelot” is the perfect candidate. That the estates of Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) signed off on the concept is a tribute to their artistic vision. (And to their bottom line; Two River’s will not be the only production.)
At three hours with a cast of 30, “Camelot” combined a classic love triangle with political intrigue wrapped around a glorious musical score. At 2 hours, 15 minutes with a cast of eight, it still does. The timeless story has Arthur (Oliver Thornton) nervously awaiting his arranged bride Guenevere (Britney Coleman). They fall in love and do marry. Inspired by her, Arthur creates the chivalrous order of Knights. (Genny’s father has a round table that seats 150. “He never uses it,” she happily informs.)
The idyll is shattered when Genny and the flawless Lancelot (Nicholas Rodriguez) lock eyes, cracking the Camelot armor. The order of the Round Table goes on to collapse in treachery and violence, spurred on by Arthur’s bastard son, Mordred, played with relish by Hunter Ryan Herdlicka. (“You’re not the first king to have one of those things running around,” Genny assures Arthur.)
I was initially dubious. With younger-than-usual principals in rehearsal clothes on a multilevel, wooden-frame set, there was a high school look about the production. But by the time Guenevere and three burly knights, standing in reluctantly (and amusingly) for ladies-in-waiting, celebrated “The Lusty Month of May,” I was won over.
As those knights, Ryan G. Duncan, Kent Overshown and Perry Sook do some heavy lifting. They fill in for missing characters of both sexes and of both good and evil intent. Their individual talents are key to the show’s continuity. Their “Fie on Goodness,” sung with Herdlicka’s Mordred, is as much choral resonance as you could ask for. (As a fourth knight, versatile Parker Slaybaugh ages down to play Tom, who puts a cap on the play.)
Choosing between Thornton’s Arthur and Rodriguez’s Lancelot would be a problem for any woman. Both handsome fellows, Thornton grows into the regal role, and Rodriguez is a baritone to contend with. “C’est Moi” establishes Lance’s self-importance and “If Ever I Would Leave You” is a reminder of how grand that song is.
Falling for Coleman’s Guenevere is no contest. With the poise of a precious art object and an expressive face that’s a window into Genny’s soul, she’s also a sparkling singer, pining for “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood,” vamping the knights with “You May Take Me to the Fair” and lamenting emotional upheaval with the haunting “I Loved You Once in Silence.” She is a kingdom-worthy Guenevere.
Presumably (there’s no program credit), director David Lee had a hand in the condensing, which successfully distills the play’s essence without diluting it. He also manages the cast’s doubling/tripling skillfully, while musical director Steve Orich’s re-orchestrations are exactly to scale.
This may not be your parents’ “Camelot,” but it is one you might want to share with their grandchildren.
“Camelot,” through Sunday, Dec. 14, at Two River Theater, Bridge Avenue, Red Bank. Performances: Wednesdays through Sunday. For schedule and tickets ($37-$65): 732-345-1400 or online at tworivertheater.org.
Theater critic Phil Dorian’s writes Scene On Stage column in the Two River Times. Reviews can be found at sceneonstage.com.
