More Details About Camelot
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Website: http://www.olneytheatre.org/newspress/index.asp#AM
Book and lyrics by: Alan Jay Lerner; Music by: Frederick Loewe; Original production directed and staged by Moss Hart; based on The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Directed by Stephen Nachamie on the Mainstage
Camelot is set in King Arthur’s enchanted kingdom – a place where honor and chivalry reign, where “might for right” is the new creed and democracy flourishes. When Queen Guenevere falls in love with Sir Lancelot, this idyllic land is placed in jeopardy. The splendid score includes the romantic and haunting “If Ever I Would Leave You,” the captivating “How to Handle a Woman,” and the majestic title song “Camelot.”
In 1942, Frederick Loewe approached Alan Jay Lerner at a club in New York with the idea of collaborating on a musical. The two went on to enjoy a creative partnership that lasted 18 years, resulting in such noteworthy shows as Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, and, of course, Camelot.
Camelot originally opened in 1960 at New York’s Majestic Theatre and starred Julie Andrews as Guenevere, Richard Burton as King Arthur, and Robert Goulet as Sir Lancelot. It was hailed by critics as the most lavish spectacle ever seen on Broadway, winning four Tony Awards. It caught the imagination of the country and its youthful president, John F. Kennedy. The show became forever entwined with the American values of social equality and justice.
“In 1960, Camelot became synonymous with the brief ‘shining moment’ that was the Kennedy administration, and the comparison with our current administration has been duly noted by the press,” say Director and Choreographer Stephen Nachamie. “In choosing the show and framing the storytelling, Artistic Director Jim Petosa and I discussed the relatively new Obama administration and the ‘audacity of hope’ in changing the world that exists. King Arthur’s hopeful quest to create a new order of chivalry, to create a more common ground between the privileged knights and the people of Camelot, and to end wars by using ‘might for right’ instead of ‘might for might’ are still extremely relevant.”
Todd Alan Johnson is making his Olney debut as King Arthur. He performed on Broadway in Aida, and in the National Tour of Les Miserables. His Queen Guenevere is played by Patricia Hurley, who was recently seen as Wendy in Peter Pan. Other Olney credits include Doubt, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, The Heiress, and 13 Rue de L’Amour. Aaron Ramey, who plays Lancelot, is also making his Olney debut. His Broadway credits include Young Frankenstein, Curtains, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Bill Largess portrays Merlyn, Arthur’s counsel, while Evan Casey plays his illegitimate son Mordred. Bill was most recently seen in 1776 at Olney. He is the founding member of the Washington Stage Guild and has been its artistic director since 2008. Evan has performed at Olney in Call of the Wild, Fiddler on the Roof, and Lend Me a Tenor.
The rest of the charmed cast of Camelot include Sharen Camille, James Chatham, Caitlin Diana Doyle, Maria Egler, Jarid Faubel, Carrie A. Johnson, Deborah Lubega, Don Kenneth Mason, Thomas McNeal, Michael Nansel, Carl Randolph, Kirstin Riegler, Andrew Sonntag, Ryan Speakman, and Kara-Tameika Watkins.
Stephen Nachamie returns to Olney for the first time since last season’s production of 1776. Most recently, Stephen’s work was seen at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. He directed Faith Prince in a presenation of Luck! at the York Theatre Company; Into the Woods for NYU’s CAP21; and Seth Rudetsky in Torch Song Trilogy. The musical director is Christopher Youstra, whose most recent Olney production was Call of the Wild. Rounding out the creative team are Jeremy F. Foil (Scenic Designer), Charlie Morrison (Lighting Designer), Eric Propp (Costume Designer), Jarett C. Pisani (Sound Designer), Nan Flanagan (Wig Designer), Lynn Watson (Dialect Coach), and Renee E. Yancey (Stage Manager).
Olney Theatre Center
Located just north of Washington, D.C. in arts-rich Montgomery County, Maryland, Olney Theatre Center for the Arts offers a diverse array of professional productions year-round that enrich, nurture and challenge a broad range of artists, audiences and students. One of two state theaters of Maryland, OTC is situated on 14 acres in the heart of the beautiful Washington-Baltimore-Frederick "triangle," within easy access of all three cities.
An award-winning regional theater, Olney Theatre Center operates under an Actors' Equity Association Council of Stock Theaters (COST) contract, one of only three theaters in the country to operate under such a contract.
In addition to its mainstage season, which emphasizes 20th-century American classics, new works, area premieres, reinterpretations of classics and musical theater, OTC offers a wide range of programs and affiliations including: National Players, America's longest running classical touring company (since 1949), which performs for high school and college audiences in over 25 states; Potomac Theatre Project, which offers experimental and alternative plays that explore provocative and challenging human situations, ideas and visions; special school performances of mainstage shows; a free Summer Shakespeare Festival; and post-show discussions.
