Camelot Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...Sophia is a perfectly charming Guenevere and a delightful singer, although you'd like to see her more emotionally involved with her two men. And although Sandys is very much an actor who sings rather than a legitimate vocalist ("How to Handle a Woman" is a real stretch for him), his Arthur is both vulnerable and likable. Sandys conveys the most crucial themes of this show: The difficulty of putting your own life aside in service of an ideal, the pain of betrayal and the dangers of disillusionment and regret, all while showing the rewards of striving to do the right thing. Maybe Arthur could be persuaded to take on those pensions."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"... Light Opera Works in Evanston is presenting a gorgeous production of this 1960 Tony-winning Broadway musical though June 10. On stage at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston is a cast of 31 performers directed by Rudy Hogenmiller, the company’s artistic director. In the pit are 29 musicians, under the baton of Roger L. Bingaman."

Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended

"...The musical that supposedly inspired President Kennedy with its idealism and lush score is recreated here almost exactly as it played on Broadway back in 1960. Lerner and Loewe, following the success of "Brigadoon" and "My Fair Lady", adapted "The Once and Future King", T. H. White’s epic novel about King Arthur, Queen Guenevere and Sir Lancelot, into a Tony Award-winning, long-running, musical that has remained an audience favorite for generations. From its inception, the show, although full of romance, humor and swashbuckling battles, was fraught with many difficulties. And while there’s much to recommend in this production, a few problems mar the 32nd Season opener."

Stage and Cinema - Recommended

"...The show does profit from a tuneful score, lots of opportunities for lush pageantry, and some humor. But Alan Jay Lerner’s book never really finds its footing and the story careens to a rushed conclusion; his libretto jams the show’s climax into a blur of frantic action in the final few minutes, as if he realized the show was running long and needed to wrap up the narrative, even at the cost of cramming the finale down the audience’s throat. Still, the musical has endured for half a century on both its romance and listenable score."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...It is always a special treat (and a throw-back to the Golden Age of Broadway musicals) when the creatives at Light Opera Works mount a show. Using a full (29 piece) orchestra, the full original orchestrations without cutting essential elements, Light Opera Works offers Broadway musical and operetta lovers a rare treat – original styled productions."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"...Best of show is Nick Sandys’ ardent, brilliant Arthur. His contagious passion for Camelot (in the delightful title catalogue song) fuels even his clumsy questioning (“How To Handle A Woman”). In the final scene, where Arthur passes his legend onto young Tom of Warwick (to be followed by Sir Thomas Malory, Alfred Lord Tennyson and T.H. White), there wasn’t a dry eye in this critic."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...How fortunate are Chicago area theater audiences to have a company like Light Opera Works, a musical theater troupe that brings us superb productions each year- classics, redefined with dynamic casts made up of Equity and non-Equity players, who share one common goal; to bring us the best musical theater, with full orchestra in a comfortable setting and of great importance, affordable ticket prices. The only drawback this company has, if one can call it a drawback, is that they can only offer us limited run times due to the large expense of giving us a full orchestra."