HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-08-26, Page 23In Camelot
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26,1992. PAGE 23.
Stratford announces season
Leisa Way as Guenevere and Christopher Shyer as
Lancelot appear in Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, now
playing at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend.
Theatre review
‘Camelot’ exceptional
BY LARRY CARDIFF
The Huron Country Playhouse
has come alive with all the
pageantry and medieval elegance of
Lerner and Leowe’s Camelot, the
epic retelling of King Arthur and
his court. This story of love,
chivalry and betrayal based on T.H.
White's The Once and Future King
is directed by Max Reimer,
choreographed by Janice Luey,
with musical direction by John
Karr.
The $1,000,000 premier of
Camelot opened at the newly built
O'Keefe Centre in Toronto on Oct.
1, 1960 and starred Richard Burton,
Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet
Richard Burton earned a Tony
Award for his grand performance.
Seven years later, the stage hit
made movie history by winning
three Academy Awards with its
cast of Richard Harris, Vanessa
Redgrave and Franco Nero.
The legend of King Arthur is a
familiar one; of how the boy Arthur
pulled the sword from the stone to
become the ‘rightwise’ King of
England. Spurred by the teachings
of his mentor, the wizard Merlyn
who sees all and knows the future
outcome, King Arthur strives to
create a perfect civilized society.
He forms the Knights of the Round
Table who fight for truth and
justice and a united England.
Lancelot, ‘the purest of the pure’,
comes from France to join their
I ideal cause and becomes Arthur's
best friend.
Lancelot falls in love with
Arthur's queen, Guenevere, and
though they fight their growing
passion they become entrapped by
the circumstances of their love.
Arthur is tom between his love for
them and his own sense of betrayal.
When Guenevere is sentenced to
bum for her infidelity Arthur prays
for her successful rescue by
Lancelot. Arthur's kingdom is tom
apart by the betrayal and thrown
into the chaos of war. On the
battlefield Arthur's ideal vision is
realized by a young lad who has
come to serve his King on this his
darkest hour.
David Nairn gives a splendid
performance as King Arthur, a man
tom by his duties, his love and his
own sense of betrayal. Christopher
Shyer gives an equally admirable
performance as Lancelot, the bold
knight who draws his strength from
purity but loses himself in his love
for Guenevere.
It was indeed a pleasure to once
again hear the beautiful range of
Leisa Way's voice as she captures
the heart in her magnificent
portrayal of Guenevere, the love
lorn Queen. Playhouse audiences
will remember her for her
outstanding performance as Maria
in The Sound of Music.
Sean Mulcahy provides us with a
wild looking Merlyn clad in skins
and rags. Comic relief is
wonderfully provided by Jack
Northmore in the role of Pellinore,
a knight that Guenevere refers to as
a “cartoon of a man.” His
bumbling, daft observations more
than once stole the scene from his
leading co-stars.
Allan Wilbee appears as
Mordred, the illegitimate son of
Arthur, who like the proverbial
snake in the Garden of Eden
schemes to discredit and overthrow
King Arthur's court. Other familiar
faces will include, David Mallis as
Dap, Toby Proctor as Sagramore,
Valerie Williams as the beautiful
Nimue, Judy Leigh-Johnson, Lisa
Robertson and Alison Lloyd.
Robert Ivey must once more be
congratulated on the impressive
setting that reveals Camelot with
all its Medieval splendor and
elegance. The colourful wardrobe
and elegant robes can be graciously
attributed to Jo Zvonkiu.
Overall, Camelot is an
exceptional production that
transports one back to the shining
pageantry of Medieval England.
The one true complaint I had with
the production was the sometimes
barely audible speeches of Mr.
Wilbee and Mr. Naim, a problem
I’m sure will be corrected with
future performances. As Arthur
reveals early in the play, “Camelot
is unique, and extremely
uncommon,” That it is and much,
much more.
Camelot will continue to run at
the Huron Country Playhouse until
Sept. 5, and is a truly magnificent
way to end the summer.
Artistic Director David William
announced the playbill for the
Stratford Festival's 41st season on
August 17. Mr. William’s fourth,
and final season as artistic director
will open May 31, and will include
a total of 11 productions.
The Festival Theatre’s opening
week productions will be William
Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopa
tra and one of his most beloved
works, A Midsummer Night's
Dream, Arthur Laurents' Gypsy,
and a mid-season production of
Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid,
which was written in 1672.
Gypsy, Arthur Laurents, Stephen
Sondheim and Jule Styne's musical
biography of burlesque queen
Gypsy Rose Lee, marks its first
appearance on the Stratford stage.
The original production, starring
Ethel Merman as Mama Rose,
debuted -at the Broadway Theatre
on May 21, 1959 and ran for 702
performances.
A 1990 revival of Gypsy, origi
nally starring Tyne Daly in a Tony
Award-winning performance, is
still playing on Broadway. The
show's many memorable songs
include "Everything's Coming Up
Roses", "Some People", "Let Me
Entertain You", and the show-stop
ping strip number "You Gotta Get
A Gimmick".
Productions of Oscar Wilde's
most famous work The Importance
of Being Earnest, written in 1895,
and Gilbert and Sullivan's The
Mikado will mark the 1993 season
at the Avon Theatre. Both the 1963
and 1983 Festival productions of
The Mikado were televised by
It's up for grabs
at Playhouse
auction
Original works of art,
entertainment packages, hand
crafted items and gift baskets
including specialty coffee and Key
West Aloe products ... it's all up for
grabs at the Huron Country
Playhouse Foundation Dinner
Auction on Friday, October 16.
This event to be held at the South
Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter
promises to be as exciting as only
an auction can be. The evening will
be emceed by Jack Riddell, retired
MPP, executive member of the
HCP Board of Directors and
chairman of the Auction
Committee. Cocktail hour
commences at 6 p.m. with dinner,
catered by Jerry Rader from
Pineridge Barbecue. The auctioneer
team of Bob Heywood and Burt
Lobb will begin the bidding at 9
p.m. on a variety of items,
including an FM 96/Radio 98
Valuable Weekend Listening
Package!
Happy "1st"
Birthday Brett!!
To a "Beary" Special Boy
With Love, Hugs and
Kisses...
Mommy, Daddy,
Kris & Jenna
CBC.
At the Tom Patterson Theatre
William Shakespeare's King John,
Sharon Pollock's new play Fair
Liberty's Call, Euripides' Bacchae,
and a limited return engagement of
Dan Needles' acclaimed Wingfield
Trilogy will be presented. Six
Words & Music concerts and a yet
to be announced Stratford Festival
Young Company production will
also mark the 1993 season at the
Tom Patterson.
Fair Liberty's Call, set in the late
18th century, is the third play by
award-winning Canadian play
wright Sharon Pollock to be pre
sented at the Stratford Festival.
The inclusion of Euripides' Bac
chae, translation by Kenneth
Cavander, in the season marks only
the fourth production of a Greek
tragedy by the members of the
Stratford Festival company. Mr.
William will direct this first Strat
ford production of a Euripides'
play.
Blyth audiences familiar with the
work of playwright Dan Needles,
whose Peril's of Persephone pre
miered at the Blyth Festival in
1989, can look forward to Mr. Nee-
Buck & Doe
for
Scott MacDonald
and
Kathy Davis
Friday August 28
8:00 -1:00
Blyth Community Centre
Music by Sound Proof
Bus Pick up at Clinton Credit
Union - 9:00 p.m.
Age of Majority
For more information
phone 482-5674 (evenings)
523-9447 (evenings)
Looking Nifty
at Fifty
KEITH BACHERT
Happy 50th
Birthday, Dad
Love from the family
May God Bless You
dies’ acclaimed trio of one-man
plays, Letter from Wingfield Farm,
Wingfield's Progress and Wing
field's Folly. The Wingfield Trilogy
enjoyed sell-out success during its
limited engagement at the Tom Pat
terson Theatre earlier this season.
Ron Beattie returns as Walt Wing
field next season for another limit
ed run.
Mr. William's selection of direc
tors, designers and company for the
Festival's 1993 productions will be
announced in late November.
40th Wedding
Anniversary
MURIEL & JOHN MANNING
SEPTEMBER 6,1952-1992
Congratulations Mom and
Dad on your 40th anniver
sary. May you continue to
enjoy good health, good
friends and many more
years of happiness together.
With love and best wishes
from your family.
THURSDAY NIGHT IS
WING NIGHT
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS 35C EACH
MINIMUM ORDER 10
a variety of sauces available
Wings available for take out at
regular price of 50c each.
THURS., FRI., & SAT.
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS & CHIPS
$5.45
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
THURS., FRI. & SAT. NITES
PIZZA
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
ENTERTAINMENT
Aug. 28 - 29
Dennis Siren