By S. Wade Hansen
The 'lusty month of May' has a head start this year at the Hale Center Theater in Orem, Utah.
Theater patrons can celebrate May Day, love and chivalry at the delightful production of 'Camelot.'
The show is double cast and patrons get a different feel of the show depending on which night they attend.
'Camelot' is the whimsical account of King Arthur and his famed Knights of the Round Table.
Opening night played to an excited, sold-out crowd that praised the production.
King Arthur, played by Art Allen on opening night, did a masterful job with the character.
Allen''s voice robustly glided through King Arthur''s signature songs, 'Camelot' and 'How to Handle a Woman.'
His dramatic interpretation of the character and his motivations drew the audience into the story and coaxed them into living the story with him.
Guenevere, played opening night by Melia Erdman, was the perfect compliment to Allen''s portrayal of Arthur.
Erdman handled the complexities of switching from a merciless tease at the start of the show to being a guilt-ridden lover at the end of the show with great skill.
Erdman''s brighter voice was a nice compliment to Allen''s rich sound.
The most delightful character in the show was Pelinore, played opening night by Eldon Randall.
Pelinore is a bumbling, old codger who has been chasing a mysterious monster with his dog for most of his life.
His adventures have kept him away from civilization for most of this time and his inter-personal skills have suffered.
Randall bumbles well, and his sidekick, Rosco the Dog, added the perfect touch to the character.
The Hale Center Theater can be a difficult theater to stage a musical in because it is a theater-in-the-round. But the production crew for 'Camelot' came up with a few creative staging gems.
The scenes depicting 'Morgan le Fay''s' invisible wall and the disbanding of the Knights of the Round Table have great special effects.
The Hale Center Theater has contributed to giving community theater a good name over the years and they continue to do so with 'Camelot.'
The show runs through May 7. Tickets can be purchased by calling 226-8600 or by visiting The Hale Center Theater at 225 W. 400 North in Orem, Utah.