WILMETTE, IL—This new production isn’t your grandmother’s, or even your mother’s, “Camelot.” For those who have seen previous revivals of the 1960 musical (starring Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, and Robert Goulet), or have watched the 1967 movie (with Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero), this modern reincarnation of “Camelot” at the Music Theater Works in Wilmette may be a disappointment.
The lavish and colorful fairy tale original, which was filled with splendor and spectacle and featured a large cast of supporting singers and dancers, has been redone. But the new take on the old favorite has been so reduced that its glamor, power, and fantasy are gone; the swashbuckling pageantry is gone; Merlin, Arthur’s magical wizard, is gone; Morgan le Fay, the nasty enchantress, is gone; Nimue, the guardian of the Excalibur sword, is gone; and the confused King Pellinore and his dog are gone.
