Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Perkins is an excellent singer, and nicely conveys her character’s dismay as she is drawn between Arthur, whom she loves with her heart, and Lancelot, for whom she feels such unbridled passion. Metcalf knows how to belt out his songs, infusing Arthur with a refreshing boisterousness; many actors bring to Arthur their most brooding affects. Rowbotham makes Lancelot more thoughtful and plainspoken—the character’s grand pronouncements seem like humblebrags here. The show, which has undergone some heavy cuts, sometimes feels rushed, but the players and production team know where to find Camelot’s real heart."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...The pared down Camelot presented by Music Theater Works in the intimate north theater at North Shore Center for the Arts has everything you love about this iconic musical: the songs, the winning and winsome Arthur (played with depth and range by Michael Metcalf), a saucy and smart Guenvere (played by Christine Mayand Perkins), and an attractive and committed Lancelot (Nathe Rowbotham brings both masculine and feminine energy to the role giving complexity to the love triangle). This is a show that is deservedly beloved."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...One of the problems with doing more shows than in prior years and doing more performances is that often you make selections that do not draw the audiences of the past, leaving you with empty seats. In this, the comeback season after the pandemic, they have selected the Lerner & Lowe musical “Camelot”. Many are unaware of the many mishaps this show had along the way to making its Broadway opening. The version that Music Theater Works is doing is the “streamlined” version and they are doing this production on a smaller stage with a smaller, very diverse cast so for the true “Camelot” fan, happiness will not find you."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Now, for younger, contemporary theatergoers, who may not have a preconceived notion of how this musical should be presented, and who welcome a more current, cutting edge production, this new vision might offer a pleasant evening of enjoyment. But for most of Music Theater Works’ typical season ticket holders, who tend to be 40 or older, this new production just might disappoint."
The Fourth Walsh - Recommended
"...Director Brianna Borger stages this with multiple interesting aspects. The joust scene is off stage. The knights and villagers are gender-fluid. And she bookends the story as a story with the ensemble providing ongoing narration. She cleverly emphasizes the Camelot myth being passed down over centuries. Borger uses her chorus to show the translation going from voice to book to stage. And makes the legend real as an audience member receives a program."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Somewhat Recommended
"...One more for the retooling/remounting/revitalizing department: Music Theater Works’s take on Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s Camelot, a title with a lot of Golden Age nostalgia behind it, but also one that has never really gelled. Solid songs in service of a talky, tricky, realistic-until-it-isn’t book: a tale as old as time. Director Brianna Borger opts for a sort-of story-theatre troupe-of-players approach, one that’s free of accents and armor, but, unfortunately, not quite free of starch."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Recommended
"...However, current audiences might look beyond scale and appreciated director Brianna Borger’s focus on ideals clashing with desires."
Chicago On Stage - Recommended
"...Lee has given the show a new coda that ties the entire history of the Arthurian legends together, showing how the tales were passed down from generation to generation in many different versions. The story of that "one brief shining moment" that was the dream of Camelot just keeps being told and told. And of course it does: humans may always manage to destroy utopias, but we wouldn't be humans if we stopped dreaming of them."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...The musical feels lovely and sweet as one song dips into the next and the love triangle grows between the three leads. However, for this writer it felt like a spark was missing; something that drove the intensity of this love triangle home."
Evanston Roundtable - Somewhat Recommended
"...Blaming the miss on the director might simplify the problem but it does seem to start there. Performers are giving full enthusiasm to their parts but their efforts bring a bizarre effect to a beloved musical."
Splash Magazine - Recommended
"...This timeless classic re-creates the magic and majesty of Lerner and Loewe’s musical Camelot as it recounts the enduring legend of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, Sir Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Based on T.H. White’s novel “The Once and Future King,” you’ll enjoy the enchanting story of King Arthur’s most trusted knight, Sir Lancelot, as he falls in love with Queen Guenevere and together they give in to their passion."
