Camelot Reviews

Joyce Knoller from New York, New York

WHERE IS THE HEAT?

The Queen as written, has one emotional setting—mildly angry with a side of moral indignation. The chemistry with Lancelot (understudy) was so weak, it was undetectable from my loge seat. Handsome King is now an “aw shucks” Everyman—bland. There was virtually no set, unless dragging in chairs and benches counts. And the opening attempt to create snow covered ground read as a lumpy gimmick. Too bored to return after intermission.

P Burkholder from Tucson, Arizona

MISSING THE MAGIC

As a life long lover of Lerner and Lowe and Camelot, it’s difficult to admit the current revival is empty of joy. The actors are well cast and sing beautifully but what were Aaron Sorkin and the director/producers thinking when they stripped the tale of love, lust and magic? Surely there is a way to honor a feminist sensibility without making Merlin merely an advisor and deciding that Morgan le Fay’s being a witch cannot add to the mystery. And somehow the dilemma of Guinevere’s love for both men is stripped from the tale. The songs are glorious but the joy and sorrow are missing.

J. June from New York, New York

DISAPPOINTINGLY STAGED AND PERFORMED

Surprisingly bad! This was a real letdown for us, as we’d seen the great LCT production of My Fair Lady a few years back and are fans of the original Camelot. We splurged on seats in the third row, which unfortunately only provided us with an up-close view of a tepid, half-hearted performance. None of the actors seemed fully committed to the story or their roles, and it felt like there was nothing at stake in the love triangle. The script wasn’t cohesive and Arthur and Lancelot (understudy) were miscast. On the positive side, Soo’s singing was great. I agree with the other reviewers that this performance had the energy of a dress rehearsal and the quality of an amateur (even high school) production—it just doesn’t work. The minimalist set and costumes felt lazy and cost-cutting rather than intentional and artistically driven. We left feeling drained and relieved that it was over rather than inspired or reinvigorated by attending our first Broadway show post-pandemic.

Joyce from New York, New York

DISAPPOINTED

Yes I missed the costumes and the sets, but I was more put off by the “contemporary” dialogue. In an attempt to be fresh and I guess more politically correct, I honestly think the missed the essence of what was so charming and engaging about this show. I’m a big Sorkin fan but I think he badly missed the mark here- too talky, too snide at times, too many “ isn’t this clever?” remarks. Please bring back something closer to the original! !

Kathy McFarlane from Fort myers, Fl

HATED THE REVIVAL

The songs were beautifully sung. The updating was horrible. King Arthur says “shit!”? Guinevere is called “Jenny”? I was embarrassed for Phillipa Soo having to sing and dance to The Merry Month of May like a semi-hooker. Lancelot sings I Loved You Once in Silence instead of Guinevere, and I thought that was OK, until the morning after when Jenny says she never loved Lancelot, it was a big mistake. They went to war over her mistake. Horrible! Go back to the original story. Was visiting from Florida and deeply disappointed.

Leslie from New York, New York

STRANGE CASTING AND CONFUSING BOOK

I somehow am one of the few attendees of this show who hadn't seen the original play or the movie, yet I was familiar with much of the music. I actually found the sparseness of the set to be interesting and I did like the costumes. Phillipa Soo was charming and her voice is beautiful. As for the rest, as a novice to the story, I was honestly confused as to what was going on. Another reviewer said King Arthur reminded him of Evan Hansen and yes, I agree! I kept getting Ryan Seacrest vibes. My friend who was with me was very familiar with the story and said the original King Arthur was a powerful presence and there was great love between he and Guenevere — no evidence of that here. And Lancelot left me cold, as well. Apparently in the original, Camelot was a lovely place under the expert rule of these two. Here, there is no sense of what they're doing and even where they live and how they are perceived. I somewhat enjoyed it, but now just want to see the movie.

Loving Papa from New York, New York

A DISAPPOINTING MISS OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

I had such high expectations for this revival and, perhaps, then, the fall seemed all the more tragic. The score does not soar. The performances are flat. The vocals pale in comparison, not rich, not rewarding. The revised script is no improvement; in fact, the changes have you disliking Arthur and, more so, Guinevere, who is truly unlikable in the choices made. The pushes for humor are anachronistic, finding no home in Arthurian legend. The setting and the lighting are reminiscent of a production of Beckett. The costumes cannot decide or define what Era Camelot is set. Unfortunately, what could have been is what will linger. How I wish...

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