The Olney Theatre’s “Camelot” still takes place in the timeless, utopian setting of Lerner and Lowe’s original musical, which explores the intertwined lives of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot, examining the themes of love, loyalty, friendship and betrayal through soaring music and memorable lyrics.
Yet this “Camelot” is clearly pitched to an audience familiar with America in 2009.
“Artistic director Jim Petosa wanted to do this play now,” director Stephen Nachamie said, “because it’s the end of President Obama’s first year, which really resonates with the play in terms of what it means to rule, to have an ideal.
“That’s what appealed to me most about directing the show, concentrating on what it means to be a man who has a tremendous amount of responsibility, who needs to make rules that will eventually make things better for everybody. But the question is, how do you deal with that when human nature and passions come into play?”
Nachamie’s approach to “Camelot” involves a design choice in which the court is always watching.
“Whatever decision King Arthur makes, whether it’s to help the people or to ignore what’s going on in his world, it affects the kingdom he loves,” Nachamie explained. “No action can exist without repercussions. So we built a set based on changing perspectives, where the royalty can always be seen. They can’t get away from their roles as king and queen.
“Also, I felt that many people know the musical numbers from pop culture references but don’t know where they fit in the play. The musical director, Christopher Youstra, and I wanted to make sure people see why the songs are iconic by drawing as much dramatic attention to them as possible.”
Nachamie said audiences are responding warmly to this “Camelot.”
“We recently had a talkback,” Nachamie said. “A couple who were celebrating their 50th anniversary had celebrated one of their first anniversaries seeing the show on Broadway when it opened. They were impressed with how fresh the material still is.”
“Camelot” runs through Jan. 3. Visit olneytheatre.org for details.
