“CAMELOT” FLYING ITS BANNERS HIGH IN HARTFORD

QUEEN GUENEVERE AND KING ARTHUR, PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN

The glory, magic and majesty of the land known as Camelot will be sailing its banners high into the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford from Tuesday, April 21 to Sunday, April 26.  King Arthur and his beguiling Queen Guenevere are at the heart and center of this intriguing tale of pomp and pageantry.  Arthur's loyal cadre of knights known as the Round Table serve as his minions in his fight to preserve honor, justice and righteousness.

The tale of bravery begins quite early when a young  and impressionable Arthur, known as Wart to his friends, is a willing and eager pupil of the grand wizard Merlin.   When Arthur pulls the sword Excalibur from the stone, his fate as the future King is England is revealed and sealed.

  This great musical, adapted from T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King,” begins when an uncertain Arthur is posed to meet his bride Guenevere
(Mary McNulty) on the eve of their arranged marriage.  Neither is too eager for the match, but fate and love conspire to bring them together.

Arthur  (Adam Grabau) is determined to create a new order of conduct, to espouse all the worthy virtues of chivalry, during his reign and to bring all the finest and most courageous knights to his newly created Round Table.  To that end, he summons Sir Sagamore, Sir Lionel , Sir Dinaden  and the grandest, bravest, noblest and most immodest of them all, Sir Lancelot (Tim Rogan).

Arthur’s grand plan for peace is challenged with the advent of the maliciously scheming Mordred and the conniving Morgan LeFey, who stir up the pot with treason, treachery and revenge.  

Glorious music swirls romantically throughout.  Such songs as “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “Camelot” and “Take Me to the Fair” are poignant or delightful in turn.

For tickets ($23-80), call The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org.   Performances are Tuesday - Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. 

Remember the presidency of John F. Kennedy and the current reign of Barack Obama and the legacy of promise and hope that sprang from that “fleeting wisp of glory called Camelot.”  Capture that spark and sparkle for yourself.