(Left to Right) Jennie Santiago as Guenevere, Peter Herrick as Arthur, and AJ Klein as Lancelot.
(HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- With their season now in full swing, The Ritz Theatre Company gets set to usher in the New Year with a new take on Camelot, the soaring, award-winning musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe revolving around the legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and Sir Lancelot. Adapted by David Lee, this intimate cautionary tale of idealism, hope, and love is vitally reimagined to feature a small ensemble of storytellers. The production runs at The Ritz from January 13th through January 29th, and will be performed “in-the-round” as part of the company’s Winter Black Box Festival.
“Prior to reading this small cast version of Camelot, I was slightly familiar with the original musical, having seen a production many years ago,” says director Lori Aleixo-Howard. “There were a few things that stood out to me about this version: how well the story could be told in an intimate, in-the-round setting and how the kingdom of Camelot may have had a different fate if Arthur had pursued a relationship with his son Mordred. Other relevant ideas that struck me were Arthur’s pursuit of the ‘perfect’ society, despite the fact that human beings are imperfect by design, and that marriage is a journey, the destination of which can change as time passes. This idea in particular jumped out at me, being the child of divorced parents, and now being married myself for nearly twenty years. I had the idea of casting younger and older versions of both Arthur and Guenevere because the pair that we meet at the top of the show, with their youthful dreams and ideals, are NOT the same characters we see at the end of this story. They are older, wiser, and tainted by the realities of their lives.”
Borrowing from the Arthurian legends and based on T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot is the duo’s fantastical masterpiece which triumphed on Broadway in a legendary original production that led to a film version and numerous revivals in New York, London, and across the globe. Its Original Broadway Cast Album topped the charts for 60 weeks, with a rich score boasting such gems as “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “I Loved You Once in Silence,” “The Lusty Month of May,” and, of course, “Camelot.” In the show, an idealistic King Arthur hopes to create a kingdom built on honor and dignity, embodied by his Knights of the Round Table. His ideals, however, are put to the test when his lovely queen, Guenevere, falls in love with the gallant knight Lancelot, and the fate of the entire kingdom hangs in the balance.
“This production employs a rather unconventional form known as ‘story theatre,’ in which a troupe of actors assemble, are assigned roles, and narrate the tale for the audience,” explains Ms. Aleixo-Howard. “Lerner and Loewe’s gorgeous original music and most of the plot remain intact, but the story is streamlined to focus on the love triangle between Arthur, Guenevere, and Lancelot.”
Rounding out the creative team on this new Ritz production of Camelot are music and vocal director Nicholas French, accompanist Chris Weed, set and lighting designer Matthew Weil, costume designer Megan Iafolla, and stage manager Lisa Palena. The cast features Peter Herrick as Arthur, Jennie Santiago as Guenevere, AJ Klein as Lancelot, Robert Repici as Young Arthur/Mordred, Meg Bryan as Young Guenevere/Lady Anne, Zach Martin as Sir Dinadan, Brian Graziani as Sir Sagramore, Kristine Bonaventura as Sir Lionel, and young performers Gavin Barden and Nicky Brown alternating the role of Tom of Warwick. All are ready to bring this new spin on the Lerner and Loewe classic to the Ritz stage.
“I hope that the audience falls in love with this beautiful story and the music that accompanies it much like I did,” concludes Ms. Aleixo-Howard. “I hope that they enjoy being up close and personal with the actors telling the tale. And finally, I hope the audience will be able to look for beauty in life’s mistakes as well as its triumphs.”
Performances take place Friday, January 13 at 8:00pm; Saturday, January 14 at 8:00pm; Sunday, January 15 at 2:00pm; Friday, January 20 at 8:00pm; Saturday, January 21 at 8:00pm; Sunday, January 22 at 2:00pm; Friday, January 27 at 8:00pm; Saturday, January 28 at 8:00pm; and Sunday, January 29 at 2:00pm.
Tickets: General Admission — $30; Artist/Student Rush — $15; Groups of 10+ — $20 per ticket (must be booked in advance).
The Ritz Theatre Company is located at 915 White Horse Pike in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
