The legend of the “Knights of the Round Table,” complete with King Arthur, Lady Guinevere and the Enchanted Forest is scheduled to take stage one week from today in Columbus.
Lerner and Loewe’s musical, “Camelot,” the last production of the Opera Columbus’ 2003-2004 summer season, will be performed July 24-27 at the Southern Theatre.
Set in medieval time, the musical “Camelot,” based on T. H. White’s novel “The Once and Future King,” tells the tale of the forbidden love affair between Sir Lancelot (David Templeton, baritone) and Guinevere (Jennifer Whitehead, soprano), the wife of Arthur (Mark Andrew Baker, baritone).
“The show is set during the King Arthur period, which is a familiar theme to many people,” said Melissa Lijek, spokeswoman for Opera Columbus.
“It’s a very interesting mythological story,” said Maggie Patton, director and former faculty member for Ohio State’s dance department. “It’s the whole King Arthur-Guinevere tryst.”
Upon their accidental meeting and shortly before their arranged marriage, Arthur and Guinevere are so charmed with one another, they happily go forth and marry. Once married, they work together to make Camelot a peaceful and prosperous community.
They establish the Round Table, a meeting place for Arthur’s Knights where every man is considered equal. Word of this table spreads to France, and young Lancelot makes his way to Camelot with aspirations of becoming a Knight of the Round Table. After emerging victorious from a series of jousts, Lancelot eventually proves himself worthy to reside in Camelot, earning the respect of both Arthur and Guinevere, but he has fallen in love with Guinevere.
Out of respect for Arthur, Lancelot leaves Camelot, but when he returns two years later, Guinevere reveals her love for Lancelot in the song, “I Loved You Once in Silence.” Thus begins the sorted love story of “Camelot.”
Patton said the set for “Camelot,” on loan from the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, is just as interesting as the story.
“The set has multiple levels, so our next challenge is to get the cast members comfortable with moving and singing on the set,” Patton said.
Baker, Whitehead and Templeton, all Columbus residents, are no strangers to Opera Columbus. Each singer has previously performed roles with the company. In 2002, Whitehead played Papagena in Mozart’s, “The Magic Flute.” In June, Baker performed as Captain Corcoran in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore.” This fall, Templeton will take the stage as Escamillo in George Bizet’s “Carmen” for the second time in Columbus.
“This is, vocally, an extremely strong show,” Patton said.
Whitehead said portraying the role of Lady Guinevere is just as challenging as it is fun.
“Getting to do musical theatre when you sing opera is kind of a treat, but the role itself is also challenging because it’s a big acting role as well as a singing role,” Whitehead said.
“Guinevere has to be a sympathetic character,” she said.
Whitehead is enthusiastic about performing “Camelot” in the 933-seat Southern Theatre.
“Its probably my favorite venue in Columbus to sing in. It’s beautiful, and it’s a perfect size. I love the Southern,” Whitehead said.
“The Southern is such an acoustically accurate theatre,” Patton said.
The Opera Columbus Orchestra, under conductor and Opera Columbus Artistic Director, William Boggs, will accompany “Camelot.”
Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Student discount tickets go on sale one hour prior to each performance and are available for $10 at the Southern Theatre box office with a valid student ID.
