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Legendary: sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Little Theatre brings King Arthur's court to stage with 'Camelot'
Madison Dodd is Guenevere and Cameron Illidge-Welch plays Arthur in 鈥淐amelot.鈥�
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鈥淐amelot,鈥� the classic Arthurian tale of a romantic triangle gone bad, opens at sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Little Theatre on Friday, Nov. 3.
The recipient of 12 Tony nominations, five Academy Award nominations and multiple Broadway productions, the show is returning in a pared version with a contemporary flair. Famed director/screenwriter Aaron Sorkin revived the musical on Broadway in 2023.
鈥淭his is an updated version that has a more modern approach,鈥� said artistic director Henry Avery. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not as an elaborate production with all the costumes and scenery. But it emphasizes the characters and the music. It鈥檚 a lot cleaner, crisper production. It really gets to the meat of it.鈥�
Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe penned the stage musical in 1960; the film version aired in 1967. The story is based on the legend of King Arthur as adapted from the 1958 novel 鈥淭he Once and Future King鈥� by T. H. White. The figure of Arthur first appeared in Welsh poetry in the late sixth and early seventh centuries, a hero who was said to lead the Britons in battle against Saxon invaders.
King Arthur marries Guenevere; she falls in love with his best knight, Lancelot; their affair splits the round table.
Arthur wants to create a new kind of knight 鈥� one that does not pillage and fight, but tries to uphold honor and justice.
鈥淭he story is as old as time,鈥� Avery said. 鈥淲hat I鈥檝e fallen in love with are the lyrics, they are so clever and so good. It鈥檚 really a great masterpiece of musical theater.鈥�
Cameron Illidge-Welch and Madison Dodd play Arthur and Guenevere. Both actors are new to ALT. ALT regular Stuart Neef plays Lancelot.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to find the actors that are the right types with the vocal range because it鈥檚 very challenging vocally,鈥� Avery said. 鈥淭hey rarely leave the stage at all.鈥�
鈥淭he ideal of Camelot is something we all strive for,鈥� Avery continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that utopia, the ideal world. It almost gets there, but life gets in the way.鈥�
鈥淏ut the dream goes on, and the ideal goes on.鈥�
The musical marks ALT鈥檚 second show of its 94th season.
On Friday, Nov. 10, the theater will host 鈥淐amelot in the Parking Lot,鈥� a mini-Renaissance Faire, between 5-7:30 p.m. Wear your best Renaissance ensemble and receive a free bag of popcorn.
