Camelot
Frederick Lowe (Music); Alan Jay Lerner (Book and Lyrics)
Coastal Repertory Theatre
Since its Tony Award winning premiere in 1960 when the President whose too-brief time in the White House became associated with the musical’s magical aura, Lerner and Lowe’s Camelot has been staged in over 1000 additional productions large and small around the globe, including a 2023 fourth Broadway revival. The ever-popular legend of King Arthur and his striving for “might for right” through a democratic Round Table of non-fighting knights as elaborated in Alan Jay Lerner’s book along with a host of songs that now reside in the Great America Songbook as classics (Frederick Lowe, music; Lerner, lyrics) have ensured a continued love affair between fans of musicals and Camelot. To the long list of productions is now added Coastal Repertory Theatre’s current Camelot, one emanating heart and enthusiasm but weighed down by Lerner’s dialogue-heavy book and a directorial pace that at times seems snail-like as the three-hour-plus musical (including intermission) trods along.
Please continue to Talkin’Broadway for the rest of my review.
Rating: 3 E
Camelot continues in a three-hour-plus production (with intermission) through March 30, 2025, by Coastal Rep Theatre, 1167 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, California. Tickets are available online at https://www.coastalrep.com.
Photo Credits: Joyce Morrell
