By Bill Varble
Mail Tribune

For Livia Genise, Camelot doing "Camelot" was a no-brainer, nevermind the name thing.

"How could anyone not embrace the idea of might for right and justice for all?" Camelot’s artistic director says.

Camelot — the theater company in Talent — will present "Camelot" — the musical — as its holiday production opening Friday, Dec. 2.

"How could Camelot not produce this musical?" Genise says. "Our mission at Camelot is to explore what it is to be human — all the magic, mystery and possibility, even if it is only, in Arthur’s words, for ‘one brief shining moment.’ "

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"Camelot" is based on T.H. White’s "The Once and Future King," with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The 1961 Broadway production won a Tony Award for acting for Richard Burton as well as Tony Awards for music direction and scenic design.

"Camelot" comes with portraits from fantasy and legend: Merlin, Morgan le Fey, the evil Mordred, the magnificent Lancelot and the beautiful Guenevere. Central is the vision and integrity of Arthur, his dream of might for right — and a round table where all knights would sit with nobody at the head of the table.

But "Camelot" is at bottom the story of the fatal triangle involving Arthur, the faithless Guenevere and Arthur’s friend Lancelot.

Camelot’s "Camelot" is directed by Genise, with musical direction by Jennifer Schloming and choreography by Rebecca Campbell.

"Just the word ‘Camelot’ evokes images of a world both mystical and unattainable," Genise says. "So many books and movies have been written based on the Arthurian legend — from ‘The Sword in the Stone,’ ‘Excalibur’ and ‘Merlin’ to ‘The Mists of Avalon.’ "

The 1960 musical starred Richard Burton, Robert Goulet and Julie Andrews. A 1967 film version with Richard Harris as the king was less successful.

This "Camelot" stars Jeff Golden as King Arthur, Renee Hewitt as Guenevere, Don Mathews as Lancelot, with Paul Jones in the dual roles of Merlin and King Pellinore.

The host of Jefferson Public Radio’s "Jefferson Exchange," Golden appeared at Camelot in the title role of "Zorba" and as Mathew Harrison Brady in "Inherit the Wind."

A former Bay Area actress, Hewitt has been performing for more than 22 years from New York to the Coast. At Camelot she has appeared in "Master Class" and "Born Yesterday."

A voice teacher at Southern Oregon University, Mathews starred as Father in Camelot’s "Children of Eden" and has appeared in numerous Rogue Valley productions.

Jones is a retired theater professor and a veteran of more than 80 productions, after which he says some of his favorite roles are Richard in "Richard III" and Salieri in "Amadeus."

The cast of 26 includes eight students from 7 to 17 years old, including Katie, Katira and Mikaela Anderson, Shay and Tina Astor, Chandler Beattie, Karl Beckman, Caitlin Campbell, Mike Evans, Bart Grady, Coca Herried, Rylee Houck, Ehrlich Inget, Dotti Isom, Alessandra Jenkins, Heather Lane, Tony Laughlin, Alexandra Schireman, Jack Seybold, John Simutis, Jeffry Star and Jessica Vineyard.

Costumes are by Emily Inget, set design by Douglas Warner.

"Camelot" previews Wednesday, Nov. 30, and Thursday, opens Friday and runs through Jan. 8.

Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail bvarble@mailtribune.com.

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