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The set immediately invites you in. It's not the facade of a forbidding castle, whose moats and ramparts will have to be breached. Instead, it's a structure -- a little rickety, a little fanciful -- that might be found on a playground, with steps that invite you to climb to the lookout where, it is hoped, you can see forever.
Designed by Valeriya Nedviga for Millbrook's production of Lerner and Loewe's musical "Camelot," now playing on the Ryan Main Stage, the set deftly combines a sense of playful idealism with just a hint of the shadowy threats lurking in the recesses below. It's the perfect setting for the tensions between dream and reality that lie at the heart of this touching, magnificent play.
The story of "Camelot" is based on the legends that developed over a period of a thousand years around the figure of King Arthur, whose vision of a reasoned, civilized society, where conflict could be settled by law rather than by warfare, resulted in a new order of chivalry symbolized by the Round Table.
In the Millbrook production, Arthur is played brilliantly by Golden Garnick, making his debut this summer. He's an unlikely monarch, ill at ease in his kingly robes, with a boyish charm and humility that win the loyalty and devotion of everyone around him. From his opening number ("I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight"), where Arthur admits to feeling scared as his wedding night approaches, Garnick wins a similar devotion from the audience.
We watch with delight as, inspired by a vision to improve humanity, he puts the new order in place alongside his new bride Guenevere, singing "in short, there's not a more convenient spot / for happy ever aftering than here in Camelot."
A new marriage. A new order. But of course "happy ever aftering" is the stuff of fairy tales, and neither the dream itself nor its resulting complacency are meant to last.
The intrusion of Lancelot, played wonderfully by Michael Floriano (also making his Millbrook debut this summer), upsets the delicate balance. Floriano's strong singing voice allows him to project convincingly Lancelot's bold, unstoppable iron will and his sense of divine purpose. One by one, the knights of Arthur's Round Table are defeated by his sword, and eventually Guenevere too falls under his spell. Zoe Constantinides (also debuting this summer) gives us a Guenevere who fights her attraction to Lancelot out of her love for Arthur, but eventually succumbs, moving beautifully between delight in the "simple joys of maidenhood" to a hard-won understanding of the complexities, and choices, that can come with growing up. Constantinides's enchanting voice carries us across these difficult waters.
Does the Ideal bring with it a repressed reality? Like the shadow of a thought that's taken on substance, the character of Mordred materializes in the second act, intruding like the snake in the Garden, bringing with him rebellion, chaos and war.
Arthur refuses to resort to "uncivilized" methods of control, insisting that "we must not let our passion destroy our dream," and the Round Table begins to crack.
Adeleke Goring (also making his debut) is convincing as Mordred who, with the help of the Knights (now singing "Fie on Goodness!") unleash the forces of revenge upon an idealized order too new and too inexperienced to resist them effectively. For those of us who cherish the idea of a non-hierarchical societal order based on the premise of goodness and justice, it was unsettling, and terribly sad, to watch these forces storm the citadel, and even more difficult to hear Arthur ask poignantly, "What good is reason if it doesn't touch the heart?"
The ending does not include much "happy ever aftering." But -- with a couple of surprises -- we're left with this story of Camelot, "a shining moment," "a fleeting wisp of glory," enough to put in your pocket and take home.
We can't end this review without a shout-out to the Knights: Steve Aguirre as Sir Dinadan, Cale Blakely as Sir Lionel, Tyler Gallaher as Sir Sagramore, and Zachary Spafford as Sir Tom. They become the collective source of hilarity, high energy, and choreographed hi-jinx throughout the show, lending added texture and substance to the performance.
And finally, hats off to Shannon Agnew who, after her fine performance in "Sidekicked" earlier this season, directed and choreographed the show. In a conversation before the performance began, she told me that one of the marvelous things about live theatre is what she calls its "human magic." This is when the actors create a world in the space around you -- and you then become a part of it. Thanks to Shannon's excellent direction, that magic began working early in "Camelot," touched the heart, and never let go.
The show will run through July 2. Be sure to get a ticket. It's not to be missed!
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Karen Elias lives in Swissdale. She taught English for more than 30 years, most recently at Lock Haven University and Penn College.