Camelot
Hale Center Theater OremView digital playbillApr 22, 2022 – Jun 4, 2022
Thanks for coming to Camelot, “where the climate is perfect all year long, the winter is forbidden till December and exits March the second on the dot, the summer lingers through September, the rain may never fall till after sundown, and by eight the morning fog must disappear. In short, there’s simply not a more congenial spot than here in Camelot.” Welcome to the “Small Cast Version” of Camelot. The wonderful Lerner & Loewe music that we have all fallen in love with is the same. The beloved story is the same. But the telling of the tale is different. The script was written by David Lee and first produced in 2014. It is a refreshing retelling of the compelling and tender love story of Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot. (And it only lasts 2 hours and 10 minutes!) David Lee is best known for co-writing and co-producing The Jeffersons and Cheers. He also co-created Wings and Frasier. For the past decade or so he has been extending himself to include not only television, but also the world of theatre. David Lee recalls that he has always loved the music of Camelot. However, over the years, it gradually transformed into “a story about an old guy who gets cuckolded by his young wife when the handsome Frenchman comes to town.” Lee’s Camelot returns us to the time of its legendary roots, when “Arthur, Lancelot, and Guenevere were three young people in love,” and their youthful ideals went crashing into reality. Lee explains, “The major part of what I tried to do with this version of Camelot is clear away a lot of the clutter, cast young vibrant sexy people in the three leads, and follow their story. And I realized I didn't need a whole chorus of people or fancy scenery.” Lee named it the “Small Cast Version” because it only requires seven men, one woman, and a boy, all playing more than one character. Think of it as Camelot condensed! Lee notes, “This version throws open the treasure chest of theatrical tricks.” Rather than based on extravagant “spectacle,” it is driven by engaging storytelling and audience imagination. “A bald branch becomes a forest in winter, an old trunk a boulder, a flurry of torn paper a light snow.” In making this adaptation Lee “began by eliminating anything (or anyone) that did not directly have to do with the Arthur-Guenevere- Lancelot triangle.” He was surprised to discover that what remained was “a clear, concise and still emotionally satisfying narrative for the three.” We invite you all to be “surprised” with this time tested and tender tale, the retold story of three wonderful individuals: “a powerful woman and the men whose lives she affects.” Welcome to the show! “In short, there’s simply not a more congenial spot, than Camelot!”