When a show plans to open in NYC, it is often given a test run in an off-off-Broadway location. The production and cast can be tweaked and polished to shine when they hit the bright lights on opening night.
The Barn at the Ross Art and Garden Center inadvertently served as an off-off-location on November 12th when it opened “Camelot” for only one night in what was calendared as a 5 ½ week run.
Days before opening, one of the leads was suddenly unable to perform.
The Mountain Play in partnership with the Ross Valley Players made a bold last-minute decision to present Phillip Harris in the lead role of King Arthur. Mr. Harris is the Musical Director of this production, and has multiple acting chops in addition to his vast musical talents. He stepped in to perform the lead role with superb ability and a fine voice, yet he had scant time to learn all the acting lines.
Come to the most congenial spot called “Camelot” and be charmed….
With a sold-out house for opening night, the show did indeed go on, admirably. Kudos to not only Mr. Harris, but to all the actors in the cast who maneuvered their way around the stage to make certain the legendary story had flow and timing, despite a new member joining them. What a triumph!
This production is set for a small stage and cast, making it remarkably avant-garde and creative.
“Camelot” is typically presented with lavish costumes and pageantry, a backdrop to the classic songs of Lerner and Loewe. This production is set for a small stage and cast, making it remarkably avant-garde and creative. Director Zoe Swenson-Graham uses simplified settings to provoke the audience’s imagination. Actors perform dual roles, costumes are minimal, and props are simple and multi-use. The cast uses long sticks as pounding drums, a wedding chapel, and a burning at the stake. The various transformations on stage provoke admiring laughter from the audience.
Lerner and Lowe gave us clever lyrics and memorable melodies in this legend of Arthur and his knights of the round table. The beloved songs from the musical are all here and performed with excellent voices by Krista Joy Serpa (Guenevere), Izaak Heath (Lancelot), and Harris (Arthur). Harris sings the opening “I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight?” (“He’s wishing he were in Scotland, fishing tonight.”) Serpa’s lovely soprano voice fills the stage with her pleas to “St. Genevieve.” They meet, and Arthur sings an unusual sales song to convince Guenevere to stay and discover the pleasures of “Camelot.”
It works. Enter Lancelot, with his humble bravado – and good looks, and skills, and youth. His brash ego (“C’est Moi”) rankles Guenevere. When she sings “Then You May Take Me to the Fair” to her knights, the amusing lyrics show her resolve to rid herself of Lancelot. It doesn’t work out. They fall in love, and Lancelot sings her the romantic “If Ever I Would Leave You.” It’s game over for her.
A surprisingly powerful Matt Skinner was a huge hit sneering as Mordred in Act II. He cajoles the knights (David Schiller, Anna Vorperian, and Rachel Menendez) into shouting out the song “Fie on Goodness, Fie!” with great gusto. In a reversal of traditional casting in Shakespeare’s era, females (except for Guenevere) play male roles in this production, allowing Alexandra Fry to be young Arthur who pulls the sword out of the stone.
At various points the pre-recorded music track was slightly out of sync with the actors. This has to be an opening night twerk. Note that the 99-seat theatre is comfortable yet not acoustic, so sit close to the front if you are hard of hearing as the music can overwhelm the clever lyrics.
Considering the last-minute alterations, this opening night should shine brightly when the schedule resumes November 26th. It’s regrettable that due to conflicts with Mr. Harris’s professional calendar, RVP must cancel eleven performances.
As of this writing, there are only ten performances still available. Come to the most congenial spot called “Camelot” and be charmed.
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ASR Editor Cari Lynn Pace is a member of SFBATCC and writes theatre and lifestyle reviews for the Marinscope Community Newspapers throughout Marin County.
| Production | Camelot |
|---|---|
| Written by | Lerner & Lowe |
| Directed by | Zoe Swenson-Graham |
| Producing Company | Mountain Play Association and Ross Valley Players |
| Production Dates | Thru December 19th |
| Production Address | Ross Valley Players "The Barn" 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Greenbrae, CA 94904 |
| Website | www.rossvalleyplayers.com |
| Telephone | 415. 383-1100 |
| Tickets | $35 |
| Reviewer Score | Max in each category is 5/5 |
| Overall | 4/5 |
| Performance | 4/5 |
| Script | 4/5 |
| Stagecraft | 4/5 |
| Aisle Seat Review PICK? | YES! |