Review # 40: Camelot

 Hello everyone! I cannot believe that we are at forty Broadway reviews already! So here is my review of Camelot. 

Plot: For those who do not know, this production of Camelot is a revival. The first Broadway production of Camelot came out in 1960. Camelot is based on the book, The Once and Future King. Camelot tells the story of King Arthur. Arthur is set to have an arranged marriage with the Princess of France, Guenevere. They were both hesitant about the marriage at first, but Arthur convinced Guenevere to stay with him in Camelot. Soon after their marriage, Arthur's mentor, Merlyn passed away. Arthur is still mourning the loss of Merlyn and feels like he has a lot to learn. After talking to Guenevere about his loss, Arthur is inspired to create The Knights of the Round Table, to uphold honor, justice, and goodness. A Frenchman named Lancelot finds out about The Knights of the Round Table and is eager to join King Arthur and his knights. Arthur befriends Lancelot and he introduces him to Guenevere. Guenevere and Lancelot both loathe each other at first, but once Lancelot heals Arthur after a joust, they both feel something that wasn't there before. Now there is a love triangle brewing in Camelot. You'll have to see the show to discover what happens between King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and Sir Lancelot. When I walked into the theater I was not expecting much, but after the show I found myself to like the show. The show was not boring and I was intrigued to see what happened to all of the characters in the story. But what shocked me the most is that there were a lot of jokes and one-liners that I was not expecting from a show like this. It made the show more fun and enjoyable for the audience. The story of Camelot is wonderfully fantastic and I think a lot of people should come to see the show. 

Characters: One of the things I found interesting is the casting in this show. Usually in many interpretations of the stories of King Arthur, Arthur is many years older than Guenevere. However in this revival, Arthur and Guenevere are about the same age, which makes the Modred storyline kinda confusing. But other than that, I really enjoyed this cast of characters! Each character had different personalities but they all worked so well together. Arthur is eager to learn about kingship and wants to bring goodness to Camelot. I also was not expecting Arthur to have a couple of one-liners in the show but I thought it was perfect for his character. I love how the written Guenevere, she is strong and I enjoy the fact that she's not in your face about being independant and that she does want love. She is also supportive towards Arthur and I love her enemies to lovers dymanic with Lancelot. Speaking of Lancelot, I enjoy how goofy he could be in the show. He wants to be loyal to Arthur and is ashamed when he messes up in front of him. I also love his and Arthur's friendship. Other characters such as the other knights, Modred, and Merlyn were fun to see as well. 

Songs: Before seeing this show, I wasn't quite sure if I would like any of the songs, but I actually found myself to like them a lot! Some of the songs I enjoyed were "Camelot", "Lusty Month of May", "Simple Joys of Maidenhood", "I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight?", "C’est Moi", "Fie On Goodness!", and "How to Handle a Woman". Even though I did not walk out of the show singing the songs, all the songs were fun and you might want to go back to the cast recording to listen to them again. 

Sets: I adored the set design for this production of Camelot. Not only did the stage had projections to represent Camelot and King Arthur and Queen Guenevere's castle but they also had projections on the stage to represent grass. Also when you walk into the theater, their is a sheet on the stage. At first I was confused why there would be a white sheet on stage, but as the show went on, I realized that sheet was supposed to represent snow, which was so cool! But most of all I loved that the whole theater was the set chacters walk through the aisles and even Arthur climbs up a ladder that is on the side of the stage. It is so amazing and you have to see the show live to see why. 

Overall, Camelot is a wonderful show portraying the lives of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and Sir Lancelot. I would recommend this show for anyone who loves those Arthurian stories or even the book that it was based off of. I would also recommend this show for any one who loves the original Camelot Broadway show and it's previous revivals. But you don't need to have a lot of knowledge of the world of Camelot to have a good time. However, this show does feature illegalitmate children and an implied bed scene. If you are uncomfortable with being exposed to that then maybe you show go see another show. Other than that you should definitely check out Camelot!