"Camelot"

June 19, 2018 — Observing its 86th year, the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, New Hampshire, is the state's oldest continuously operating summer theater and is included on the state's Register of Historic Places. If you love rusticity, and I do, you'll love the Barn, in spite of a few challenges. Two heavy wooden posts partially block the view of the stage from some seats, a couple of thinner metal posts four rows down are slightly less obstructive but can be annoying if they're directly in your line of vision. The edge of the low-hanging balcony, which was converted from a hayloft (yes, this was really once a barn), can hide the heads of tall or elevated performers from the back rows. The ancient floorboards are well-worn and the floor has a few waves in it. They ring cowbells to signal the start of the play and return from intermission. You can rent a pillow for 5 cents, the proceeds going to scholarships

On this night, the Barn Playhouse staged Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot" for the fifth time in its history. The Barn has a record of attracting great musical talent and is especially good at producing musicals. This particular production was not the best I've seen at the Barn. That distinction belongs to Sigmund Romberg's "The Student Prince" in my opinion, staged by the Barn a few years ago. But  "Camelot" was still an evening well-spent.

Many in the 18-member cast wore head microphones, something I find annoying. It takes away from the naturalness of the performance, but I suppose they're needed by those whose voices aren't strong enough to cover the entire theater. Carly Valancy as Guenevere did not wear one and her fine soprano voice reached the farthest corners of the theater effortlessly without electronic assistance. Fred Rose as King Arthur did wear one, but that's not a criticism. With or without the mic, his strong baritone was a delight to listen to. In fact, all the singing talent was first-rate. The band, while very good, was a bit uneven in volume, but to be fair, the acoustics in the old theater-in-a-barn can be challenging.

I won't attempt to name all members of the fine cast, but those who stood out, besides the aforementioned Valancy and Rose, were Andy Tighe as Lancelot and Gabriel Florentino as Mordred. Adam Zeph played the dual roles of Merlin and Pellinore.

Russell Garrett directed "Camelot" for the Barn. Brad M. Carlson was responsible for scenic design, Emily Kimball costume design and Ben Montmagny sound design. Cecilia Durbin (www.durbinlighting.com) was lighting designer.