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So-So Camelot Lacks Energy The classic tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is told in Camelot, which opened Dec 9 at Providence Performing Arts Center and runs through Dec 14. However, the production, which was directed by Michael McFadden, is plagued by a lack of energy and mostly forgettable songs by famed composers Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. The story begins when King Arthur (Adam Grabau) meets Guinevere (Mary McNulty) in the forest. They soon fall in love. But Arthur is unhappy. Triumphs in war bring him no comfort, and he loses his beloved confidante Merlyn (Mark Poppleton), who he relies on for sage advice. With the encouragement of Guinevere, Arthur creates the knights of the round table as a way to bring honor to his kingdom. Guenevere is soon smitten by the dashing Lancelot (Tim Rogan), who boasts of his physical perfection. What woman could possibly resist that? Before long, they are ensconced in a passionate love affair that serves to torment them both. The second act is enlivened considerably by the arrival of Mordred, who turns out to be Arthur’s illegitimate son. Mordred is an impish troublemaker and as played by Kasidy Devlin, he is quite a charming rogue. There’s no faulting the performances by the lead actors. Grabau has a dynamic stage presence and looks great in the medieval costumes. Arthur has a lovely duet with Guinevere, “What Do the Simple Folk Do,” but otherwise is a self-obsessed bore. Guenevere, as played by McNulty, fares a bit better. She demonstrates real vulnerability as well as a sense of entitlement. Being a queen is her destiny. McNulty shines when she sings “Before I Gaze at You Again,” her plea to Lancelot at the end of Act One. Rogan is also a fantastic singer, who gives a powerful vocal on “If Ever I Would Leave You.” Poppleton, who also plays King Pellinore, has some genuinely funny line readings. His final appearance as Merlyn was imaginatively staged. The scenic design by Kevin Depinet is mostly lackluster. A mammoth steel structure is meant to simulate a tree in the forest where Arthur takes refuge. It just looks tacky. Another scene features what resembles oversized rose petals jutting out of the sky. Camelot debuted in 1960, just as the fabled presidency of John F. Kennedy was beginning. The optimism and sense of honor embodied by King Arthur became intertwined with Kennedy’s vision for America. However, Arthur’s nobility and insecurities don’t make for a compelling story, and Camelot takes itself far too seriously to be much fun. Camelot runs through Dec 14 at Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St. For tickets, call 401.421.2787. The Trip to Bountiful Asks Whether You Can Go Home Again 2nd Story Theatre’s presentation of The Trip to Bountiful, from playwright Horton Foote, asks the age-old question: Can you go home again? The time is the 1950s. Carrie Watts (Paula Faber) is an elderly woman who lives in a cramped Houston apartment with her son Ludie (Nathanael Lee) and daughter-in-law Jessie Mae (Lara Hakeem). Carrie is besieged by Jessie Mae, who is driven crazy by Carrie’s singing of hymns and her pouting. Ludie is a devoted son, but is hesitant to disobey Jessie Mae’s wishes. Carrie plans a trip to her hometown of Bountiful and buys a bus ticket before meeting a friendly woman named Thelma (Erin Olson), who misses her husband. Meanwhile, Ludie, aided by a sympathetic sheriff (Joe Henderson), and Jessie Mae are hot on her trail, determined to bring her back to their home. The themes of love, family, and longing for the past are all elegantly intertwined in The Trip to Bountiful. Director Ed Shea has crafted a deeply moving drama that makes the most of a talented ensemble cast. Faber gives a powerhouse performance and draws our sympathy as Carrie embarks on her quest. She is a strong-willed woman who has experienced tremendous heartbreak during her life. Hakeem is terrific as Jessie Mae, who is a petulant and selfish woman who has no concern for Carrie’s feelings. The songs by Eric Behr enhance the poignancy of the story. The images projected on giant screens on the stage help us imagine the sentimental journey Carrie takes. We are whisked from a threadbare apartment to a bus station to her childhood home. The Trip to Bountiful is a perfect capper to what has been a stellar year for 2nd Story Theatre. The Trip to Bountiful runs through December 21. 2nd Story Theatre, 28 Market St, Warren. For tickets, call 401.247.4200. Barefoot in the Park Explores the Timeless Struggles of Young Love Barefoot in the Park, which recently opened at Trinity Repertory Company, is a silly, lightweight confection that coasts on the appeal of the stars: real-life engaged couple Rebecca Gibel and Charlie Thurston. Gibel and Thurston play Corie and Paul, newlyweds who move into a fifth floor apartment in New York City. The place is threadbare: no furniture, no heat and no bathtub, with a leaky closet, and a hole in the skylight. And there is a running gag of characters nearly collapsing from exhaustion after climbing up five flights of stairs. Corie is a bit ditzy – she packs firewood in her suitcase and wears frilly lingerie. Paul is a straight-laced lawyer who won’t walk “barefoot in the park” to Corie’s disappointment. After a wild night at an Albanian restaurant on Staten Island, Paul and Corie decide to get a divorce. As in his other shows including The Odd Couple and Laughter on the 23rd Floor, playwright Neil Simon proves he is a master at crafting funny dialogue and wacky, larger-than-life personalities. Gibel and Thurston are both charming and hilarious in their roles, and Thurston proves he can do slapstick when an intoxicated Paul effortlessly slides from the living room coach onto the floor. There are some terrific supporting performances from Phyllis Kay as Corie’s sex-starved mother who lives in New Jersey, and Stephen Berenson channels Nathan Lane as the oily upstairs neighbor Victor Velasco. Uche Elueze has some fun as a telephone repair man who pays a visit to Corie and Paul. The set design by Daniel Zimmerman is stunning. Corie and Paul’s apartment is smashing eye candy. It looks like the kind of place a young couple would live in. For this production, there are retractable brick walls that open and close at the beginnings and ends of the three acts, making us believe we are seeing the exterior of an apartment building. Barefoot in the Park was first produced for the stage in the 1960s. Although the theme of mismatched husbands and wives remains timeless, some of the cultural references could have been updated. For example, how many theatregoers know who Douglas Fairbanks and Arthur Murray are? Barefoot in the Park doesn’t feature any deep insights into human nature or society. It sets out to be an amusing farce and at that, it succeeds. Barefoot in the Park runs through Dec 21 at Trinity Rep. Tickets and subscriptions are on sale now at trinityrep.com, by calling 401.351.4242 or at the theater’s box office at 201 Washington St, Providence. A Christmas Carol Dazzles at Trinity Trinity Repertory Company’s annual production of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol features a top-notch cast of adults and children and some truly inventive staging. Fred Sullivan Jr. plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a cranky old miser who treats everyone with disdain, including his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit (Stephen Thorne). One night, Scrooge is visited by his deceased former business partner Jacob Marley (Tom Gleadow) who warns him of the impending visit of three spirits: the ethereal Ghost of Christmas Past (Elise Hudson) who descends from a moon, the irreverent Ghost of Christmas Present (Joe Wilson, Jr.) who flies over the audience on a wire, and the Ghost of Christmas Future (Ralph Adriel Johnson), an otherworldly figure. Director Taibi Magar has succeeded at getting vibrant performances from the large ensemble. Sullivan is never less than compelling as the haunted Scrooge, who slowly morphs from a man whose spirit has been broken to one who has achieved redemption. This role seems tailor-made for Sullivan, who delivered a superb comic turn in Laughter on the 23rd Floor earlier this year. He is a master at physical comedy. The supporting actors are every bit as effective. Gleadow delivers a memorable turn as Marley, who rises out of Scrooge’s bed in an eye-popping moment in the story. Rattling chains and sporting ghostly makeup, he is a terrifying apparition. Wilson, an engaging performer who most recently appeared in Ivanov, is one of the highlights of the show. Anne Scurria, who plays multiple roles, has some funny moments as Mrs. Partlet, who tends to Scrooge. Scurria’s comic timing is impeccable as she reacts to Scrooge’s transformation. The child actors are also impressive, especially Henry Siravo as Cratchit’s son, Tiny Tim. This incarnation of A Christmas Carol is notable for one clever interlude that features Scrooge in some very familiar locations. I won’t spoil the surprise. The joy of giving to other people is a timeless message and one which is worth repeating in this cynical age. One caveat: A Christmas Carol contains some intense scenes and therefore may not be suitable for very young children. It is recommended for mature theatergoers. A Christmas Carol runs until December 31.

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